Skoda renews Tour de France sponsorship

In a time when some non-cycling sponsors are leaving the sport in the wake of doping scandals, Czech car maker Skoda Auto renewed its sponsorship of the Tour de France for four more years until 2011 on Wednesday according to Reuters.

"Cycling is a worldwide phenomenon ... We want to be where our existing and potential customers are and, at the same time, help support this wonderful sport," said Martin Lauer, head of corporate communications in a statement.

"By this move, we want to help the organizers to clean up cycling," Skoda spokesman Jaroslav Cerny told Associated Press. "We want to support them in good as well as bad times."

Skoda started its Tour sponsorship in 2004. The deal extends to other Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) events like Paris Roubaix according to the Associated Press.