Lapierre, one of France’s biggest bike brands, is said to be making a return to professional cycling’s top level next year to become dsm-firmenich PostNL’s new bike partner, according to a report in Wielerflits.
Dsm-firmenich PostNL are believed to have a contract with Scott for 2025, but sources have said that several staff members at the Dutch team’s base were openly discussing that Lapierre will join the team next year as bike partner.
The reported switch to Lapierre comes despite the fact that new Scott Addict bikes recently arrived at the team’s service course in the Netherlands, with up to 15 bikes said to have then been built for riders like Romain Bardet and Warren Barguil. CW has seen images of the new Addict being built, although it is understood that the bikes were not then shipped out to riders ahead of the new season.
If the move does indeed become official, It would be the first time Scott have not been present on the WorldTour since 2011, with the bike brand partnered with the various GreenEDGE squads between 2012 and 2020. Scott has also supplied bikes to Dsm-firmenich PostNL for the last four seasons.
A spokesperson for the Accell Group, the parent company of Lapierre, did not deny the link to dsm-firmenich PostNL when contacted by Cycling Weekly. The firm’s COO Jonas Nillson is also reported to have been in the Netherlands recently for meetings.
Lapierre has never shied away from their desire to make a comeback by partnering with a major team after the brand’s long-standing partnership with Groupama-FDJ ended in 2023. The two French outfits had collaborated for 22 years, although that came to an end when Groupama moved to Willier Triestina in the leadup to the 2024 season. However, this move has seemingly come out of the blue.
Putting together plans for a revival on the WorldTour were alluded to by the Accell Group spokesperson on Wednesday.
"Since the end of our previous partnership, we've always said that our priority would be to come back on the WorldTour, and we're working on that," they wrote in an email to CW. "I can’t tell you more for the moment. Sorry."
According to Wielerflits, Lapierre’s move to partner with the Dutch team is in part due to the brand wishing to get rid of surplus stock. The Dutch news outlet also says that the new team Lapierre frames are likely to be white with the brand's name printed on the down tube in a cobalt blue colourway.
Scott and Dsm-firmenich PostNL were contacted for comment in relation to this article but did not respond.
