120 employees have been laid off as Pon. Bike has announced the closure of its Cycling Sports Group Europe Cannondale production facility in the Netherlands.
The company said the Almelo site “no longer fits” within its evolving multi-brand strategy, with production of Cannondale bikes set to be transferred to Germany and Lithuania as part of a wider restructuring of its European manufacturing network.
Pon.Bike introduced its integrated multi-brand approach in 2025, bringing together sales, marketing, purchasing, production and supply chain operations more closely across its portfolio.
The company said that “under this strategy, the retail partner should fully benefit from our brand portfolio. It offers opportunities to continue operating efficiently in the highly competitive international bicycle market,” Bike Europe reports.

The company notes that a period of rapid growth has been followed by a slowdown, with future demand expected to be driven largely by e-bikes.
> Pon Bike sales hit £2 billion, doubling from last year
Under the new structure, production will be concentrated across three main European sites: the Gazelle-focused factory in Dieren in the Netherlands, the multi-brand facility in Emstek, Germany, and the scalable plant in Kėdainiai, Lithuania.
The Emstek plant, which already absorbed European Santa Cruz and Cervélo production after Pon closed its Mainz site in April 2025, will take on Cannondale assembly as part of the new distribution of manufacturing capacity.
Pon.Bike wrote: “Together, these three locations offer the capacity and facilities to realise our full production volume, even with increasing demands, including the Cannondale models for the European market.”

The Almelo site, acquired through Pon’s 2021 purchase of Dorel Sports, has been dedicated solely to Cannondale production and is not compatible with the group’s integrated manufacturing model.
The closure will be phased over an estimated 18-month transition period, with operations expected to cease by the end of 2027. Pon.Bike said production will be gradually redistributed to ensure an uninterrupted supply to dealers and consumers throughout the shift.
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Cannondale is also restructuring its UK operations after its 15-month partnership with Saddleback ended, returning to a direct-to-dealer model under Pon.Bike UK in March 2026.
The move follows earlier changes in 2023 when Pon closed its UK Cycling Sports Group arm, leaving the brand without a UK distributor until Saddleback took over in January 2025. Saddleback later entered administration in May 2026, accelerating the shift in strategy.
