‘This is Rapha at its best,’ says Simon Mottram, motioning towards the group of amateur cyclists gathered around him in the mountains of Provence. Some of them are quaffing rosé; the whole scene is bathed in the glow of early-evening sun.
It’s two decades now since Mottram founded the clothing company, which his 2003 business plan described as ‘the first to bring brand, marketing and fashion sophistication to the sport of cycling’. Since then it has ridden – and maybe even powered – a huge boom in a sport that has been transformed into ‘the new golf’. For those who want to combine exercise, relaxation, networking opportunities and superbly toned calves, it has become the leisure pursuit du jour.
It’s true that Rapha has its detractors, who see it variously as arriviste, excessively expensive, poseurish and – perhaps worst of all – British. But there are many who think it is wonderful; not just a maker of comfortable bib-shorts and stylish jerseys, but also evocative of the tradition, glory, joy and suffering of the most beautiful sport in the world.
Among those in the latter camp are Steuart and Tom Walton, grandsons of Walmart founder Sam, who, through their firm RZC Investments, acquired the business for $260 million in 2017. There have been some bumps in the road since the deal. In 2018 Rapha axed some projects and products, and shuttered its ‘Cycle Club’ (shop) in Sydney. There is also a feeling that some of its emerging rivals may be catching up. Among them are the Danish Pas Normal Studios, Australia’s MAAP and Albion – a British outfit whose design team is headed by Rapha’s legendary former lead designer, Graeme Raeburn.
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No one is panicking just yet. Rapha’s owners may have other, much larger, concerns in their portfolio, but they are said to be enthusiastic (and high-performing) amateur cyclists, whose commitment to the business shows no signs of wavering. In Provence, one insider tells me that ‘Stu’, who is married to the actress Kelly Rohrbach, has adorned his helicopter with a single pink stripe: the dominant design signature of the Rapha brand. He is invested, both financially and emotionally.
The same could be said of the other people at the event here in Provence, which is known by Rapha as a ‘Summit’. There are around 90 souls, representing practically every country where Rapha sells its wares: the UK, US, France, Holland, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Australia… the list goes on. Each is a member of the Rapha Cycling Club and has paid from £1,850 for four days of guided rides through the Provençal paysage, mechanical support, good food and accommodation at the impeccably tasteful Cape- longue hotel in Bonnieux, owned by the boutique chain Beaumier.
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There are a few other assorted goodies and benefits, including a programme of evening events, such as the informal drinks reception with Mottram, a preview of the new Rapha collections led by the company’s creative director, plus ongoing opportunities to mix with the brand’s staff (who are universally delightful) and some of its ambassadors, such as Kenyan professional rider Kenneth Mungai.
What sort of paying customer does an event like this attract? It’s a mix, of course, but if I tell you that, over a mid-ride pit stop at an idyllic boulangerie, an American VC based in London, a Florida-based money manager and I get into a detailed conversation about the end of the non-dom regime, you will get an idea. Also in attendance is entrepreneur and family office head Ronald van de Laar, who has 85,000 followers on Instagram and an enviable bike collection.
Over the four days the most ambitious attendees will rack up some 380km and 6,800 vertical metres of climbing. The most demanding day in the saddle comes on the third of these, with 190km and 3,700 vertical metres, of which 1,600 are accounted for by an ascent of the steepest side of the Tour de France’s legendary Mont Ventoux.
Although I am a keen cyclist and have been for some years, the Ventoux day is, on paper, the most challenging ride of my life. It also turns out to be the best. There are lows of course, such as when you emerge from the forest that covers the lower slopes of Ventoux and, having done your research, expect to feel the gradients ease. If anything, the combination of fatigue, salty sweat streaming into your eyes and the thinning air makes things even tougher. Later, with around 150km already under the belt, there is another much less heralded climb which drags up and up… and up for 13km. But the camaraderie that develops as our group digs in, suffers together, encourages one another and then collectively surfs the high that accompanies the descents, is all the stronger for it. Recovering with a sunset beer followed by a visit to the spa is not bad either.
‘The world needs cycling more than it ever has,’ says Mottram when we chat in a quiet corner of the Capelongue hotel gardens. ‘It’s the answer to a healthy lifestyle, urban mobility, personal sanity – you know? It’s the answer to so many of the world’s problems, which are getting more and more acute. So cycling has never been more relevant, but to most people it’s still just a niche activity.’ This was what drove him when he started the company, and was still his message last year when he released a coffee-table book to mark 20 years since the launch of the brand.
Today, Mottram is not involved in the day-to-day running of the business. That’s partly because there is a new CEO, Fran Millar, who has been in post for just a few days by the time of the Summit in September. Millar (who happens to be the sister of former professional cyclist David Millar) has an interesting CV, which might make her uniquely qualified for the job. She rose to become CEO of Team Sky and its antecedent, the Ineos Grenadiers, during a period in which the outfit enjoyed an unprecedented run of collective success in the Tour de France. Then Ineos backer (and former Rich List topper) Sir Jim Ratcliffe persuaded her to join his British clothing brand Belstaff, whose fortunes Millar radically improved.
‘Fran has a nice expression,’ Mottram says. ‘Legacy can be powerful, but it’s dangerous: you don’t want it to be a cage that traps you in. You want it to be a plinth that you can stand on, and go further.’
‘The opportunity,’ Mottram adds, ‘is to take the essence and the core of the brand, but to reimagine it and to take it to new places that make it more relevant to more people today.
Our competition has been following what we’ve done and using our playbook for a reason. Now we need to set a new standard.’
This feature first appeared in Spear’s Magazine Issue 94. Click here to subscribe
