But that alone is enough to infuriate French winemakers in the southwestern Languedoc-Roussillon region, who say they will block one of the race stages between Carcassonne and Montpellier if the partnership with the New World winemaker goes ahead.

The company that runs the Tour, ASO, has insisted it sees nothing wrong with the deal with the Chilean winemaker.

The sponsorship contract has been in place for the last two years, with Bicicleta wine promoted in Britain at the opening stages of the 2014 Tour, and in Holland and Belgium last year during stages in those countries.

But Languedoc-Roussillon winemakers said they had only very recently become aware of the deal.

“We feel humiliated,” said Frédéric Rouanet, the president of the Aude department winemakers’ union.

“We make prestigious wines and the Tour is part of our cultural and sporting heritage, and therefore our wines should be associated with it,” he said.

Eight members of parliament from the region have also penned a letter to the Stéphane Le Foll, agriclture minister, to express their “anger” about the Chilean wine, while the regional president said she “deplored” the decision.