British cycling brand Le Col launches new collection with Eurosport amid growth in UK engagement

The premium British cycling brand, Le Col has partnered with the European home of cycling, Eurosport to launch a new Le Col x Eurosport collection that draws on the colours, sights and sounds of the pr-peloton and buzz of a race day atmosphere.

Consisting of a jersey, gilet and bib shorts, and available in both men and women’s cuts, the collection is equipped with Le Col’s renowned Italian fabrics and fit that helps riders push themselves faster and further.

Late last year, Le Col, announced it had been chosen as the technical kit partner for Bahrain McLaren the brand’s first time supplying its expertise at the World Tour level. Le Col has also been partners with Eurosport since 2018, supplying branded shirts to Eurosport presenters and commentators for the season.

Le Col founder and former GB pro rider, Yanto Barker, said: “We are thrilled to launch this collaboration with Eurosport and further support our cycling audience with this special kit. When I was a young pro, watching some of the most iconic cycling races on Eurosport helped inspire my career, so it’s been a pleasure to design this performance orientated core collection with them.”

The launch arrives at a time in which British cycling is seeing some its biggest numbers in terms of consumer engagement. According to data from GlobalData, 1.3 million UK consumers have now bought a bike since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis.

“As much of the UK works from home – 51.0 per cent of the working population in early June – consumers have saved on travel costs and many have found themselves with more time to exercise and no gym open to visit, making a new bike an appealing option,” said Sofie Willmott, lead analyst at GlobalData.

Retailers have benefited from the surge in demand, with 21.7 per cent buying their bike from Halfords, boosting the retailer’s overall performance, followed by 15.4 per cent purchasing from Evans.

Willmott added: “Although the bike market will see a spike in demand this year boosted by the lockdown, there is further opportunity for retailers to benefit in the future as current bike owners may choose to upgrade now they have reignited their interest in cycling. In addition, with 72.4% of current home workers expecting to do so more often post-crisis, there will be stark changes to pre-COVID commuting habits with public transport likely to remain unappealing and many consumers turning to bikes for some journeys.”