July 23, 2007 (Berlin, Germany) — While Tour de France coverage is broadcast in 185 countries worldwide, it’s Germany that provides about one-third of the Tour’s revenues according to The International Herald Tribune. That’s why Thursday’s decision by two German public television broadcasters, ZDF and ARD, to stop airing the TdF was so significant.

This decision followed revelations that German TdF contestant Patrik Sinkewitz (T-Mobile) had tested positive for testosterone during a June training ride. And now there are doping allegations against Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank), the current TdF leader. Despite this, no cyclist has tested positive at the 2007 TdF itself. Monetary matters aside, Thomas Gruber, chairman of ARD, justified his decision by claiming that his network wants to encourage “fair sport”.

How much have the doping scandals damaged cycling’s image? The number of TdF viewers fell from 2.91 million in 2005 to 1.81 million in 2006, and this year it had fallen to 1.5 million, Stefane Geese, who tracks ratings for ARD told the Tribune. But was it doping that caused the decline or was it the absence of Ulrich or another German star in the race?

Many Germans tuned in for Linus Gerdemann’s (T-Mobile) stage victory on the previous Saturday that pushed German public TV ratings up to an unprecedented 20% market share. But viewers weren’t without TdF coverage for long as Germany’s largest private broadcaster, ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, snapped up the broadcasting rights the same day that the two public broadcasters dropped them.

Coverage is also important for team sponsors which hope that viewers will recognize the brand names emblazoned on team jerseys. As outlined in the Tribune article, Gerolsteiner, a mineral water bottler, spends about €9 million, or $13 CDN, annually on its cycling team, while cell phone provider T-Mobile spends about €12 million ($17.3M CDN).

According to the Tribune’s article the numbers are in for the world’s second biggest bike race, the Giro d’Italia 2007 and the viewing audience was up 2% over 2006. “Either doping scandals did not hurt the Giro or perhaps they actually enhanced it,” explained Jens Seeberger,” a spokesman for IFM, a German sports research company.” He referred to the “soap opera” quality of the doping scandals as possibly attracting viewers.

Seeberger also maintains that, from the perspective of advertisers and sponsors, value might be returning to cycling; the sport is relatively inexpensive and offers international exposure. But the doping scandals do represent a considerable risk.

Click here to read the entire article in the Tribune.