Jan-Willem van Schaik

TAICHUNG, Taiwan - Giant Group has announced the takeover of Stages Cycling from its owner companies, some of which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June. Giant Group's US subsidiary, SPIA Cycling Inc. finally got hold of Stages Cycling with a winning bid of US$20.1 million (€18 million).

BUSNAGO, Italy - Patent disputes often drag on for years. This was also the case between Miranda and FSA that started in 2018 with a letter from the Portuguese component manufacturer to the German importer Advanced Sports. In a public statement FSA recently announced the case closed after a ruling by the German District Court in Düsseldorf.

ALKMAAR, the Netherlands - Wholesaler and cycling gear brand AGU has announced its take-over by EcoMotion and withdrawal of the chapter 11 status. Fierce competition on the local market in combination with multiple senior management changes in recent years lead to a declining market position of this one-time leading player in the Dutch cycling market.

TAMPERE, Finland - E-bike drive system brand Revonte was forced to file for bankruptcy one year ago. Since the launch of the product 5 years earlier, the company received a lot of positive feedback from industry peers. OEM's welcomed the Revonte ONE as the next generation drive system for e-bikes. Still Revonte didn't make it, even while the e-bike market was thriving. For the first time, co-founder and former CEO Otto Chrons shares his Revonte story and the lessons learned.

LONDON, UK - The anti-dumping duty on bicycles and bicycle parts from China in the UK is now also under review. Last May the British Trade Remedies Authority already advised to revoke the anti-dumping duties on China made e-bikes in a preliminary recommendation. In case the same would be suggested for bicycles, it would bring a lot of uncertainty in the UK.

KOBLENZ, Germany - Pure player, Canyon Bicycles has appointed Kristen Laina White to create a next level e-commerce and online community experience for the company's customers. In previous positions she transformed Nike's digital transformation and led the Digital Commerce, Marketing and Data teams at Estee Lauder Companies.

THE HAGUE, the Netherlands - In a large scale operation to halt the influx of fatbikes that do not meet the legal requirements of an e-bike or a moped, the Dutch authorities seized a total of 16,500 fatbikes. The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate reports the fatbikes are in fact illegal mopeds and originate from several Chinese manufacturers.

KEDAINIAI, Lithuania - Industry guests, suppliers, building constructors and official authorities gathered Tuesday for the official opening of Pon.Bike's state-of-the-art bicycle and e-bike factory in Lithuania. The Ministry of Economy and Innovation granted the status of this €57 million project into a major foreign direct investment which turned the opening into a high-brow event.

TAICHUNG, Taiwan - Microshift recently gave the industry an insight into the innovative 5G smart production line the company installed for the production of its gear shift system. The event took place in collaboration with the Taiwan Smart Electric Bicycle Association (TSEBA).

TAICHUNG, Taiwan - As the country's first bicycle manufacturer, Giant Group has been honored with the bronze award at Taiwan's 6th National Enterprise Environmental Protection ceremony. Phoebe Liu, Chief Branding Officer of Giant Group, accepted the award on behalf of the company.