From the Tour de France to bankruptcy: Raleigh, the legendary bicycle manufacturer, is on the verge of disappearing

The Raleigh company, originally from Nottingham, England, and the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world, was acquired by Accell in 2012 for approximately 80 million euros. In a statement published on Thursday, the company confirmed that it has exhausted all available options to continue its operations and can no longer meet its financial obligations.

Accell's CEO, Jonas Nilsson, stated that all realistic solutions for the company's future have been explored, but without success. Raleigh was known for the 'chopper' model and had a close connection to sports, achieving notable successes in the 1980s, including at the Tour de France and the 1984 Olympic Games. In 2017, the company withdrew from competitions after a period of success at the Tour of Normandy.