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The Tour de France kicked off on Saturday, July 4, in Barcelona. In the peloton, alongside Team Picnic PostNL, were bikes bearing the name of a Dijon-based company founded exactly 80 years ago. Lapierre—the flagship brand of the Accell Group, a French company that turns cycling into a high-performance sport—is celebrating its 80th anniversary. Renowned for its technological advancements, its successes in major races, and expertise deeply rooted in Dijon, it is entering its ninth decade with new global ambitions. A look back at eight decades of a unique human, athletic, and industrial journey.
Source: Press Release
A Family Story, a Passion Passed Down
In 1946, Gaston Lapierre founded a small bicycle manufacturing company bearing his name in Dijon. Very quickly, he abandoned mopeds to focus exclusively on bicycles. The quality of the frames built his reputation. The brand’s slogan says it all: “More than a brand, a name.” In 1960, his son Jacky took over, followed by Gilles Lapierre in 1996—three generations, one city. That same year marked a strategic turning point: the Dutch group Accell acquired 100% of Lapierre’s shares, giving the company access to the industrial resources and synergies of a leading European group, while preserving its Burgundian roots and the brand’s identity. The headquarters, the R&D department, and the high-end assembly plant have remained in Dijon ever since.
Lapierre in 2026: A French flagship with a global reach
Now a subsidiary of the Accell Group, Lapierre continues to design its bicycles in Dijon and distributes them in more than 80 countries. The historic Dijon factory—with over 3,000 m² dedicated to production—assembles between 20,000 and 25,000 high-end bicycles per year. Thirteen specialized assemblers spend 20 to 25 minutes on each bike, which is inspected against more than 20 quality criteria. The brand covers all riding disciplines (road, mountain, gravel, urban, and electric) with 151 models and 607 SKUs, and posted revenue of 113 million euros in 2024. In 80 years, Lapierre has grown from a small artisanal workshop in Burgundy to one of the most respected bicycle brands in the world. And while the story has changed, the passion has remained intact.
More than twenty-two years at the heart of the Tour de France
In 2002, Lapierre partnered with Marc Madiot’s Française des Jeux professional team. The Dijon-based brand made its debut on the world’s biggest cycling stage. The results came immediately: in its very first season, Bradley McGee won a stage of the Tour de France, and the following year, the FDJ team became the only one to win all four distinctive jerseys of the Tour de France. This was followed by more than twenty-two years of victories and accolades, alongside champions such as Thibaut Pinot, Arnaud Démare, and David Gaudu, under the banner of this partnership, which became Groupama-FDJ in 2018. In total, there have been more than 300 victories at the highest level, including European, world, and Olympic titles. At the last Olympic Games, nine athletes rode Lapierre bikes—including four French riders.
2026: An Anniversary Among the World’s Elite
Since January 1, 2025, Lapierre has been the equipment supplier for Team Picnic PostNL, a Dutch team competing in the UCI World Tour for both men and women, as well as in the UCI Continental development series—a contract running through 2028. This partnership goes beyond simply supplying bikes: it is based on close collaboration and co-development with the team’s performance departments. The Xelius DRS for road racing and the Aerostorm DRS for time trials are the first results of this collaboration. The Xelius DRS has already proven itself in competition: a sprint victory at the Giro d’Italia and a second-place finish by Romain Bardet in the mountains. This Saturday, July 4, at the start of the Tour de France in Barcelona, Lapierre bikes were in the peloton of the Grande Boucle. A powerful symbol for a brand that, for 80 years, has tied its fate to that of the most demanding competitive cycling. And beyond road racing, Lapierre is simultaneously involved in three other high-performance programs: Lapierre Racing Unity in cross-country mountain biking, the Gravity Collective in enduro, and champion Jérôme Gilloux in e-MTB.
A Pioneer in Mountain Biking in Europe, a Revolutionary on the Road
In the mid-1980s, as mountain biking took Europe by storm from the United States, Lapierre was one of the few European companies to anticipate this shift and quickly established itself as a leader in this market. In 2001, after three years of R&D, Lapierre launched the X-Control, a full-suspension mountain bike equipped with the patented FPS suspension system. This technical revolution made it possible, for the first time, to combine efficiency and comfort. That same year, Jérôme Chiotti won the French Mountain Bike Championship on this model, becoming the first rider to win on a full-suspension bike. In 2003, Lapierre broke new technological ground with its LP 0.9C carbon frame, weighing just 900 grams.
William Perrier: A New Direction at the Helm of the Brand
Appointed CEO of Lapierre in October 2024, William Perrier brings dual credibility to the brand: that of a former elite cyclist—with ten years of road racing experience—and that of a seasoned industry professional, having previously worked at Merida (the world’s second-largest bicycle manufacturer) before holding several executive positions within the Accell Group. His roadmap: to strengthen Lapierre’s international presence, prioritizing the German and Dutch markets; to accelerate the brand’s move upmarket; and to embody the brand’s new sporting and industrial ambitions.
“I’m passionate about this brand. I raced at the highest level for 10 years and rode Lapierre bikes. Becoming the head of this legendary brand is a true accomplishment for me. My only regret? My first bike wasn’t a Lapierre!” — William Perrier, Vice President of Accell France and Southern Europe.
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