"A particularly painful decision": Why has Canyon entered a delicate phase?

The situation in the bicycle market continues to take its toll even on the most established brands. Canyon has confirmed a restructuring plan that includes cutting up to 320 jobs at its locations in Koblenz (Germany) and Amsterdam (Netherlands), within a global workforce of around 1,600 employees. The decision comes after several months marked by declining sales, an adverse market context, and significant changes in the company's management.

Canyon prepares to cut up to 320 jobs following declining sales and a change in direction in management

During the third quarter of 2025, Canyon reported a year-on-year sales decline of 7%. Its parent company, Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (GBL), attributed this setback to structural factors in the cycling market rather than a specific product or positioning issue.

Among the key elements that we already explained in this other article, the oversupply and widespread discounting policy, the impact the brand suffered from several eBike recalls due to safety issues, and geopolitical and tariff uncertainty stand out.

All of this led to the brand's founder, Roman Arnold, returning to an active executive role as CEO following the departure of Nicolas De Ros Wallace. This move is interpreted as the beginning of a phase of internal correction and strategic redefinition.

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In this context, Canyon has informed its workforce of the elimination of up to 320 jobs in Europe. The company justifies the measure as a response to a “fundamentally changed market environment” and the need to adapt its organizational and cost structures to ensure long-term competitiveness.

According to the statement, the brand seeks to reduce complexity, simplify processes, and gain agility, following a period of strong growth that, in Roman Arnold's own words, has generated internal silos and excess bureaucracy. The founder acknowledged that this is a “particularly painful” decision due to the human impact it entails, emphasizing that the process will be carried out in dialogue with employee committees and with the utmost respect for the affected employees.

Despite the cuts, Canyon insists that the restructuring does not mean a withdrawal, but a repositioning. The brand wants to reinforce its DNA and concentrate resources in areas considered strategic, with special attention to the development of electric bicycles. In fact, the company plans to open a new e-bike dedicated center at its Koblenz headquarters throughout 2026.

The job cuts add to previous layoffs in the United States during 2025 and confirm that Canyon is not immune to the profound transformation the cycling industry is undergoing following the end of the post-pandemic expansion cycle. Now, the challenge for the German firm is to regain strategic clarity, internal efficiency, and a differentiated value proposition in a market that is much more competitive and constrained than just a few years ago.