Tour de France organizer ASO is looking for a new sponsor of the green points jersey. After 25 years, French betting company PMU has decided to end the sponsorship of the competition.

"Over the past 25 years we’'ve benefited from the Tour de France's great visibility," PMU communications' director Benoît Cornu told L'Équipe. Cornu explained how the 2010 law that opened up online betting in France has changed the company's strategy and focus. The company is now focused on football, with several main sponsorships in the sport.

"The Tour lasts for three weeks a year," said Cornu. "In 2010 we chose to back football because we needed a higher profile and to modernise PMU."

The ASO learned about PMU's decision to stop their sponsorship in July. The French company informed the organizers prior to the start of the Tour de France.

According to Laurent Lachaux, ASO director of commercial affairs, they are looking for a long-term sponsor.

"We're not getting too carried away with this because our vision is for the long term," said Lachaux, who added that studies have shown that the publicity return on the green jersey is 10 to 12 times bigger than the €1.5million cost of sponsoring it.