Lapierre has announced a new four-year partnership as the bike supplier to Team Picnic PostNL. The new deal will see Lapierre bikes return to the WorldTour ranks, as the newly renamed Team Picnic PostNL squad switch from Scott to the French brand.
Team Picnic PostNL, formerly DSM-Firmenich PostNL has men's and women's WorldTour teams, as well as a UCI Continental-level development squad. All three teams will use the French brand's bikes in a deal that officially begins on the 1st of January 2025 and runs through to 2028.
We understand the official team bike design will be revealed at the beginning of the 2025 season. We do know that team riders will race on the Xelius DRS model which was launched in October and the Aerostorm DRS TT bike, which Grace Brown used to win Gold at the Paris Olympics.
You can catch a first glimpse of the new team bikes and kit in the video below, which sees trucks from the new team supermarket sponsor Picnic helpfully deliver groceries to the team's riders. It is unconfirmed whether team riders will be able to shop for free at online supermarket Picnic.
Lapierre exited the men's WorldTour at the end of the 2023 season when team Groupama-FDJ switched from the brand's bikes to Wilier Triestina for the 2024 season, ending a 22-year partnership with the team.
It looked like Lapierre bikes would also leave the WorldTour altogether after the recent announcement that women's team FDJ - SUEZ would be switching from Lapierre to Specialized bikes for 2025.
The new announcement will once again see Lapierre machines in the WorldTour ranks. In the attached press release, Lapierre Global Brand Director Dorian Tabeau hinted at a longer-term vision for the brand.
"This is an important moment for Lapierre. It’s not just coming back to the WorldTour, it’s also the proof of our ambition to become a very big brand with all the support and strength of the Accell Group," he said.
"By joining forces with this great and prestigious team, we are starting to roll out our strategy to go international and make Lapierre a benchmark brand in the performance sport segment."
