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Bike Thieves Target Vueltaโข a โฃEspaรฑa Leaders, Steal โฌ250,000 Worth of Racing Bicycles
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Turin, Italy – A brazenโข theft has rocked the Vuelta a Espaรฑa, with thieves making off with 18 racing bicycles โbelonging to the Visma-Lease a โฃBike team, including those of stage winner Jonas Vingegaard. The incident occurred overnight at the โNovotel hotel in Turin, where the teamโฃ is based during the race.
The Theft and Recovery
The joy surrounding Vingegaard’s victory in the second stage and his acquisition of the red jersey was short-lived. Accordingโ to reports, โขa group of thieves forced entry intoโ the team’s โvans on sunday, Augustโค 24, 2025, and stole bicycles with an estimated total valueโฃ of โฌ250,000.
Fortunately, three of the stolen bikes, including Vingegaard’s, wereโ recoveredโค later that night in a โขnearby lawn. Authorities โbelieve the thieves may have underestimated the difficulty of โฃtransporting the bicycles.
The Carabinieri, theโฃ Italian national police โคforce, are currently investigating the incident.
Rapid Response andโข Replacement Bikes
Visma-Lease a Bike quickly moved to mitigate โthe impact of the theft, ordering a new โshipment of bicycles from Cervรฉlo, their Canadian supplier โand technical sponsor with a significant presence in Spain. This ensures the team can compete in Monday’s third stage, which runs from San Maurizio Canavese to Ceres.
“We woke โขup in the โขworst possible way,” โ said โRichard plugge,โ General Manager of Visma-Lease a Bike.
“But I must say โขthat thanksโค to the โฃenormous work ofโฃ ourโ mechanicsโค we will have the necessaryโ means โฃto run and for any replacements inโ the running.โ Some bikes have been found,frankly I don’t know why it was decided to abandon โthem,but I don’t want to goโ into furtherโฃ analyses โgiven the investigations โin progress.”
plugge also expressed gratitudeโ for the assistance offered by other teams staying at the same hotel, specifically Movistar and Lidl-Trek.
Vuelta a Espaรฑa 2025: Key โtrends and Insights
The 2025 vuelta a Espaรฑa is alreadyโ proving to be a race โคfilled with drama, both on and offโ the road. The early stages have highlighted the strength of Jonasโค Vingegaard and the Visma-Lease aโค Bike team, but this incident underscores theโข logisticalโ challenges and security concerns โขfaced โby professional cycling teams. The race is expected to be a battle โขbetween Vingegaard, โขRemco Evenepoel, and other top contenders, with aโค challengingโ course that includes steep mountain climbs and fast, โflatโ stages. The use of advanced bicycle โtechnology, like those manufactured by Cervรฉlo, is โคcrucial for performance, making the theft a significant setbackโค for the affectedโ team.
Frequently Asked Questions
- what isโ the Vuelta a Espaรฑa?
- The Vuelta a Espaรฑa (Tour of Spain) is one of cycling’s three Grandโ Tours,โ alongside the Tour de France and the โฃGiro d’Italia. It’s a multi-stage bicycleโข race held annually in Spain.
- Who is Jonas Vingegaard?
- jonas Vingegaard is a Danish professional road cyclist who rides for Visma-Lease a Bike. He is a two-time winner of the Tour deโ France and a leading contender in the Vuelta a โขEspaรฑa.
- What is Cervรฉlo?
- Cervรฉlo is a Canadian bicycle manufacturer specializing in high-performanceโ road and triathlon bicycles. They are a technical sponsor of the Visma-Lease aโค Bike โคteam.
