• Wall Street Journal, Thursday, July 1, 2010 11 AM

When the Tour de France begins on Saturday, Nissan and RadioShack will be on board for the first time, with campaigns starring Lance Armstrong, who has said this will be his final tour. Suzanne Vranica reports that Nissan's entry began earlier this year when it made a pact with Armstrong and his Team RadioShack.

Nissan's ad, shot last week in France, shows Armstrong riding behind a Leaf, Nissan's new electric car. RadioShack will air four Armstrong-focused commercials. One spot puts Armstrong in the fictional role of RadioShack's "chief mobility officer." He is seen riding a stationary bike in an office setting and doling out advice on text messaging.

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, Nissan Motor Co., RadioShack Corp. and General Motors Co. are also aboard the Armstrong gravy train that some fear may disappear with the famous racer. "If Lance is out, it will be a smaller audience and, therefore, a smaller pool of viable advertisers," predicts Kevin Adler, president of Engage Marketing, a sports-business consulting firm.

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