While the constant churn of sponsors at the top tier of bicycle racing is ever-more turbulent, the presence of British clothing brand Rapha has been something of a constant since it first stepped up to WorldTour level with its sponsorship of Team Sky in 2013, before switching to EF-Drapac in 2018. At the end of the 2025 season, this somewhat reassuring presence – something that even non-diehard fans like my mum recognised as a staple of the sport – will cease as Rapha winds up its time at the top.
In a statement, Rapha’s CEO, Fran Millar, left the door open to coming back when the time is right:
“Rapha is leaving the WorldTour – for now. We will be back. EF Pro Cycling has a unique spirit which we will always respect and champion. But we have made the decision to broaden our horizons and increase our impact across other, progressive areas of elite and participation cycling. This does not mark the end of our support for the world’s most talented and charismatic riders. The next chapter begins now.”
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An iconic partnership comes to an end
While Rapha’s partnership with Team Sky was a continuation of the clothing brand’s visual identity, its partnership with EF heralded a new direction for the brand and produced some of the sport's most iconic and divisive kits. Perhaps none more divisive than the 2020 Rapha x Palace Giro d’Italia switchout kit, complete with duck helmets and a dazzling, unorthodox pattern.
In fact, this annual springtime switchout at the Giro, as a result of the team’s signature pink look clashing with the race leader’s jersey, became a key event for fans of aesthetic kits year in, year out, with a second Palace collaboration, an homage to carbohydrates, and – my personal favourite – the kaleidoscopic 2021 design.
What is unclear is who will step in to fill the substantial void. Cyclingnews has heard from one brand, which we'll avoid naming, that considered sponsoring the team but felt that the Rapha boots would have been simply too big to fill.
Rapha's sponsorship of EF, especially, came with some additional media coverage that certainly meshed well with the videography work done by the team. EF made great strides to bring viewers behind the scenes not only at the biggest races on the calendar, but also around the likes of Lachlan Morton's alt-tour and alternative racing calendar, which was amplified further by Rapha's own 'Gone Racing' series on its own YouTube channel.
It is worth noting that this additional input likely came at substantial cost to the brand, which has reported losses for the last seven years in a row, so it is perhaps not a surprise to see it pulling back from sources of significant expenditure.
EF Pro Cycling founder and CEO, Jonathan Vaughters, said of the partnership ending:
“EF Pro Cycling and Rapha set out to disrupt the world of cycling together back in 2019. Over the last seven years, we did just that: the Alternative Calendar, the unexpected collabs, the jerseys people couldn’t ignore. We made some noise and brought new people into our sport along the way. To me, that is the hallmark of a successful partnership”.
What next?
Naturally the rumour mill is firing up about a potential replacement for the team, but for now there’s nothing official outside of unsubstantiated claims on message boards. By way of a celebration of the partnership Rapha is launching three new jerseys and a handful of accessories.
Given that in recent years my long-suffering mother has become Cyclingnews' in-house kit correspondent, and has passed judgment on many EF kits, I decided it would be fitting to ask her for her opinion on Rapha no longer being represented, to which she said:
“As a global marketing exercise for top quality kit, they are missing a trick. It's a waste of an excellent design team. The Tour will be lesser for it."
