Company looking to expand portfolio into sportswear
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Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) shows off some new Rapha training kit(Image credit: Team Sky)
Canyon//SRAM jersey designed by Rapha(Image credit: Canyon SRAM)
You might want to be seen in Rapha kit but in none-more-black it’s rather unlikely(Image credit: Jonathan Ashelford)
Canyon//SRAM's racing kit was designed by Rapha(Image credit: Canyon SRAM)
The Canyon//Sram team was presented at the London Rapha store(Image credit: Canyon)
According to the Daily Mail, luxury goods conglomerate LVMH is in talks to buy Rapha, marking another potential step into the realm of sports products for the company already reportedly negotiating a purchase of Pinarello.
Comprising brands like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Moët & Chandon, Hennessy, and others, LVMH’s portfolio spans a variety of industries, from fashion and cosmetics to beverages. The conglomerate is reportedly interested in expanding its portfolio into sports and leisure. A high-end Italian bike manufacturer and a company with a stated mission of creating "the finest cycling clothing and accessories in the world" would seem a natural fit.
According to the report, Rapha had a pre-tax profit of £1.1 million for the year to January 31, 2016. Rapha spent four years as the official kit provider of Team Sky, a partnership that came to the end of the 2016 season. It also supplies kit for the Canyon-SRAM squad.
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