Punch Taverns has launched a range of marketing support for its pubs along the Tour De France route to maximise the sporting event.

Punch will be stocking two limited edition Tour De France-themed cask ales in its current rotation: ‘Velo’ by Black Sheep Brewery and ‘Lanterne Rouge’ by Wharfe Bank Brewery.

Stephen Martin, Category Manager for Punch Taverns, said: “The Tour De France event is a huge opportunity for pub, especially those along the route. We want our pubs to make the most of this and we have been gearing up our support over the last few months, providing our Partners with free marketing kits and advice to drive footfall.”

One Punch pub on the route is The Water Rat in Ripon. Licensee Rick Jones, explains how he has been planning ahead and has even put a twist on the theme: “We are just 100m from the route so I find that we have an increase in footfall from tourists who camp out for the event. We have put posters up and will be doing a lot of marketing on the day via social media.

“We will be serving the ‘Velo’ cask ale and will also be offering a range of food and drink offers that can be easily turned around to cope with demand.

“More notably, we have taken a twist on the theme and created The Tour De Water Rat, with Wind and the Willows-themed characters on yellow bikes, which has got a lot of people talking!”