International
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DRESDEN, Germany (BRAIN) — E-commerce retailer Bike24, which joined the Frankfurt stock exchange after an IPO in June, is reporting that its sales were up
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TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Giant Group set a new second-quarter record for net sales and earnings per share as global demand for its bikes and e-bikes remained strong. Sales of e-bikes, both under its own brand and for its OE customers, accounted for 30% of Giant's sales in the first half.
![Time employees at the opening on Friday. Time employees at the opening on Friday.](https://bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/images/article/time2.jpg?itok=U9LxtfaW)
COIMBRA, Portugal (BRAIN) — SRAM officially opened a new TIME pedal factory here on Friday, with an inauguration celebration presided over by the mayor. The city said the factory will produce 200,000 pairs of pedals per year and create 25 new jobs by next November.
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OSAKA, Japan (BRAIN) — Shimano only briefly mentioned the global bicycle part shortages in a typically terse first-half financial results announcement, which reported that sales in its bicycle product division were up 73.4% in the first half of its fiscal year, compared to the same period in 2020.
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HEERENVEEN, Netherlands (BRAIN) — Accell Group N.V. notched a sales increase of 3.3% in the first half of its fiscal year, but the company said it could have done better if not for supply and logistical issues.
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FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — Eurobike released its initial exhibitor list this week for the upcoming 29th edition of the expo that will be held for the first time in two years following the COVID-19 pandemic.
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(BRAIN) — With 12 weeks to go until the scheduled event, organizers of Sea Otter Australia have decided to postpone it until 2022.
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OSAKA, Japan (BRAIN) — Shimano has re-opened its factory in Malaysia, according to a report out of Europe. The company's factory there had been closed since about June 14, and had operated at 60% capacity for two weeks before that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
![The Garneau Mike Woods limited edition shoe. Photo by Tristan Cardew. The Garneau Mike Woods limited edition shoe. Photo by Tristan Cardew.](https://bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/images/article/tristancardewphoto_mikewoods_garneau_13.2.jpg?itok=xfjl5F7a)
SAINT-AUGUSTIN-DE-DESMAURES, Québec (BRAIN) — Louis Garneau Sports Group expanded into Europe this month with the opening of a distribution center in Toulouse, France.
![La Passione founders Yurika Marchetti and Giuliano Ragazzi. La Passione founders Yurika Marchetti and Giuliano Ragazzi.](https://bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/images/article/shooting_founders_lapassione.jpg?itok=zr9iBLvQ)
BRESCIA, Italy (BRAIN) — Italian consumer-direct cycling apparel brand La Passione has raised 7 million euros ($8.3 million) from a group of investors, including some of its existing investors, new investment funds and "business angels." The amount will be invested over four years.
![Shimano's Singapore offices. Shimano's Singapore offices.](https://bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/images/article/asia01.png.jpeg?itok=Ut7HNB_S)
OSAKA, Japan (BRAIN) — An Asian news source is reporting that Shimano plans to invest $179 million to build a new plant in Singapore that will open next year.
![Cinelli Supercorsa. Cinelli Supercorsa.](https://bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/images/article/supercorsa_bici.jpg?itok=1f2QEmmm)
MILAN, Italy (BRAIN) — Asobi Ventures Inc. acquired a majority share of Gruppo Srl, the parent company of bike brand Cinelli and tube manufacturer Columbus. The companies did not disclose transaction terms.
![Image from the 2019 edition of IAA Mobility. Image from the 2019 edition of IAA Mobility.](https://bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/images/article/csm_impressionen-30155_650c8ea3af-2.jpg?itok=4Riq6wZT)
MUNICH, Germany (BRAIN) — IAA Mobility, a conference planned for September in Munich, has confirmed several new brand participants, including SRAM, Schwalbe, Supernova, ABUS, EVOC and others.
![This September will be the last Eurobike planned for the Messe Friedrichshafen. This September will be the last Eurobike planned for the Messe Friedrichshafen.](https://bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/images/article/c59203d8-84a6-4b6c-965371c8e098f6de.jpg?itok=QmNi_Ktk)
FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN) — The Eurobike expo will move from its longtime home in this small city on Lake Constance to the major hub of Frankfurt for 2022.
MONTRÉAL (BRAIN) — Starting Sept. 1, Montréal's Arg Sports Inc. will distribute Sidi products in the Canadian market.
Arg Sports will service IBDs and sell direct to consumers and through e-commerce vendors at MAP pricing, the company said.
FRANKFURT (BRAIN) — Two of the largest e-commerce retailers in the bicycle market, Germany's BIKE24 and the UK's WiggleCRC, will each end up publicly traded soon.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Taiwan's e-bike exports are on track to exceed regular bike exports for the full year, for the first time.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (BRAIN) — The Malaysia government has ordered a COVID-19 lockdown to continue at least until June 28, extending the closure of bike factories there by at least another two weeks.
![2007 BRAIN photo by Matt Wiebe. 2007 BRAIN photo by Matt Wiebe.](https://bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/images/article/1198168169shimano_wheelbuilding.jpeg?itok=2weRVDV9)
OSAKA, Japan (BRAIN) — Shimano's factory in Malaysia will be completely closed until at least June 14 due to an official COVID-19 mandate. Since June 1, the factory had been allowed to operate at 60% capacity.
CHICAGO (BRAIN) — Germany-based Abus has reached an agreement to acquire Italian helmet manufacturer Maxi Studio S.R.L. Abus and Maxi Studio have worked together since 2016; Maxi Studio manufactures several of ABUS's premier helmet models.