Draft:Le Col

Le Col is a premier creator of top-tier cycling clothing and gear tailored for every cycling scenario. Their mission is simple: make the best performance kit to help you ride faster and further.

History
Founded by Yanto Barker, a retired Welsh professional racing cyclist, Le Col emerged from Barker's aspiration to create premier performance cycling apparel. Leveraging his professional experience and thorough testing, Yanto's commitment to attaining superior performance sets Le Col apart in the field of cycling apparel.

In 2018, Puma Funds deployed £2.4 million to support Le Col’s growth plans. Following the company’s continued strong performance, Puma has made further investments, bringing the total amount invested up to £14.4 million. This has enabled Le Col’s expansion into major new markets such as Germany and the US.

Le Col were recently named “best performance cycling apparel brand” by GQ Magazine and the company has the largest cycling club on the fitness app Strava with over 700,000 members.

Professional Testing
Teaming up with esteemed cycling figures such as Bradley Wiggins and Victoria Pendleton, alongside other notable professionals, the brand rigorously tests its product range. These experienced individuals provide valuable feedback, contributing to the ongoing refinement of the cycling kit. This collaborative effort aims to ensure that the gear achieves optimal performance levels whilst prioritising comfort.

Manufacturing
All Le Col apparel is designed in Britain and crafted in Italy. Le Col owns their own Italian factory that manufactures the clothes, helping them to realise and control the design of their apparel.

Partnerships

 * In August 2020, Strava and Le Col joined forces to offer users a discount based on the amount of kilometres cycled, called ‘Rewards for Riding.’ Every kilometre ridden could be turned into a discount on the Le Col website.
 * In 2021, Le Col joined forces with fitness technology company Wahoo to produce an indoor specific clothing range ‘Ride Real and Collective Edition garments.’
 * Also in 2021, Le Col partnered with McLaren to provide a minimalist kit to enhance speed and aerodynamics.
 * In January 2024, Le Col announced a partnership with Ford RideLondon to develop an exclusive range of cycle wear.
 * In January 2024, Le Col formed a partnership with Zwift to sponsor and produce kit for the annual virtual cycling event Tour De Zwift

Products
Le Col manufactures a range of road cycling clothing, varying from men’s and women’s gilets, jerseys, bib tights, jackets, base layers, bib shorts, speed suits, and shoes. They produce three main ranges: Pro Collection, Sport Collection, and Hors Categorie Collection. Le Col works closely with cycling legends to learn valuable insights and co-develop kit that they would have loved to have worn when they were at their peak.

Accessories
Le Col also designs and makes cycling accessories including socks, gloves, warmers, caps, sunglasses, and overshoes all engineered to increase riding performance.

Sponsorship
Le Col was a sponsor for the Team Wiggins Le Col UCI Continental team in 2019. In the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Le Col also supplied cycling gear for the men’s UCI World Tour team BORA – Hansgrohe.