French retailer Leclerc to sponsor Tour de France polka dot jersey in 2019

PARIS (Reuters) - French retailer Leclerc said it will replace rival Carrefour <CARR.PA> as the sponsor of the Tour de France cycling race's polka dot jersey, which is awarded to the best climber, from 2019.

Privately-owned Leclerc is France's largest food retailer by market share. Carrefour said in May that it would end its contracts as official sponsor of the French Football Federation and of the Tour de France, the world’s most famous cycling race.

Carrefour, Europe's largest retailer, in January announced cost savings of 2 billion euros (£1.8 billion) by 2020.

(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; editing by Richard Lough)