Rapha

Rapha is a cycling clothing manufacturer based in London, England. The company produces premium clothing for road and gravel cycling, mountain biking, and a lifestyle range too.

History

Rapha was launched in London in 2004 by founder Simon Mottram. The company’s first product was the Sportwool Jersey, which featured Rapha’s iconic asymmetric stripe design - inspired by the style of the 1950s and 60s.

From there, the brand grew as a result of its passion for a premium quality and aesthetically-pleasing product. The Rapha Condor racing team, a British continental road team launched in 2006, had the clothing brand as its owner and title sponsor for almost a decade until 2014.

By 2010, and after a surge in interest thanks to the 2007 Tour de France Grand Départ, Rapha opened its first clubhouse, where cyclists could buy the company’s products but also socialise and watch the racing too. Its flagship London clubhouse would open its doors two years later.

Rapha’s focus on improving not only its products, but also the cycling community, continued as the 2010s progressed. The Rapha Cycling Club launched in 2015 with organised club rides now taking place at the company’s 23 clubhouses across the world.

The company was the kit supplier for Team Sky between 2013 and 2016 before partnering with the newly-founded UCI women’s team Canyon//SRAM in 2016 and then returning to the men's peloton in 2019 with EF Pro Cycling Team. A year later, Rapha collaborated with fashion brand Palace to design EF’s Giro d’Italia jersey. The company now sponsors EF’s Women’s World Tour team too, EF Education-TIBCO-SVB.

Keen to remain aware of its environmental and social impact, Rapha has offered a free repairs service since 2004 as well as aiming to be a carbon neutral company by 2025.

In August 2022, Rapha announced the company’s purchase by RZC Investments for a reported £200 million.

Did you know?

Pro cycling

Current sponsorships: EF Education-EasyPost, EF Education-TIBCO-SVB, Legion of Los Angeles, Roxsolt Liv SRAM, Maghalie Rochette, Sarah Sturm, Lael Wilcox

Previous sponsorships: Canyon//SRAM, Team Sky

Highlights:

• EF have won 15 Grand Tour stages during their five year partnership with Rapha. The team won six stages in 2020, whilst Magnus Cort secured a hat-trick of Vuelta a España stages in 2021. Neilson Powless also won the prestigious Clásica San Sebastián one-day race in 2021.
• Canada and EF Education-TIBCO-SVB’s Alison Jack stunned the women’s cycling world in April 2023 when she won Paris-Roubaix Femmes. Jackson was part of the day’s early breakaway and did the majority of the work before winning from a small bunch on the famous velodrome.
• Arguably one of the most key moments in the company’s history arrived in 2013 when Rapha became the official clothing provider of British WorldTour team, and then current Tour de France maillot jaune holders, Team Sky. Rapha’s kit was there for all to see as Chris Froome won three Tour de Frances in the space of the next four years.