IN BRIEF — British cycling apparel brand Le Col, acquired in February 2026 by the Head group, was placed into administration on 1 July 2026, according to specialist outlet road.cc. Administrators have been appointed, and the company has changed its name at the UK companies register, with no word yet on whether this is a restructuring or the prelude to a liquidation.
Le Col in administration, a few months after its takeover
According to road.cc, administrators from FRP Advisory Group were appointed last week to handle the process. Two days after their appointment, Le Col changed its registered name at Companies House, the UK companies register, to become “Cadence (2026) Number 2 Ltd” — a move that allows administrators to sell on or reuse the original name and any trademarks attached to it. It is not yet known whether this is a restructuring or the first step towards a liquidation.
Losses that never stopped after Covid
The brand, until now owned by the investment fund Puma Growth Partners, recorded £12 million in cumulative losses over the three years that followed the Covid-19 pandemic. It was against this backdrop that the American group Head — a specialist in tennis and winter sports equipment — acquired it in February 2026.
Founder already gone, governance pared back
Le Col’s founder, former professional rider Yanto Barker, had resigned as a director in October 2025. Italian businessman Stefano Pariani, appointed to the board in February 2026 at the time of the takeover, had become its sole member as of 25 May. Le Col had already withdrawn its title sponsorship of the Le Col-Wahoo cycling team at the end of 2022. Shareholders who invested in the brand through a crowdfunding campaign have also said they learned, without prior consultation, that their shares had been transferred for what they describe as “nominal consideration”. Contacted by road.cc, Head Group had not responded at the time the article was published.
