Lapierre has unveiled the Xelius DRS 80th Anniversary, a limited-edition version of its flagship road frameset, to mark 80 years since the French brand was founded.
Only 100 individually numbered framesets will be made available globally, with the launch designed to honour the performance heritage established by Gaston Lapierre when he founded the Dijon-based business in 1946.
The anniversary edition introduces a new Kinetic Dust colourway, described by Lapierre as a visual expression of the “emotional residue of performance”. The design uses particle dispersion across the frame, with greater density around high-stress areas including the bottom bracket, aero fork, and the junction of the seat stays and top tube.
The finish combines three symbolic colours: Dark Blue, representing Lapierre’s DNA and legacy; Teal, signifying the moment pain turns into momentum; and Champagne, intended to convey quiet satisfaction and personal victory.
The frameset is based on the sixth-generation Xelius DRS platform, which Team Picnic PostNL will ride during Stage 10 of the 2026 Tour de France on Bastille Day, 14 July. Lapierre said the date was chosen to reflect the brand’s French roots as well as the anniversary milestone.
The Xelius DRS uses Lapierre’s 3D Tubular Technology and an ultra-premium UD Factory Lab carbon layup. The brand claims a raw frame weight of 740g and a 15% aerodynamic improvement over the previous Xelius SL3.
Founded in Dijon in 1946, Lapierre began as a family-run bicycle business before developing into a performance-focused brand across road, mountain bike and e-bike categories. Its milestones include the La Poste bicycle, patented FPS full-suspension technology, early premium eMTB development and the introduction of the Xelius platform in 2010.
Lapierre global brand manager Dorian Tabeau said: “When we were designing this frameset to celebrate the brand’s 80th anniversary, we wanted to embrace the philosophy of Lapierre, which is why we focused on the raw, emotional reality of cycling. The ‘Kinetic Dust’ artwork captures the beautiful grit of performance — the transition from pain to momentum, and ultimately, to success. Eighty years of heritage isn’t a static milestone for us; it’s a story of continuous forward motion rooted in our home of Dijon.”
The Xelius DRS 80th Anniversary frameset is available in small, medium and large sizes, priced at €4,499.
