How did thieves steal $165,000 of bikes from the Tour de France?

A major robbery threatened to end the Tour de France dreams of one team when 11 bikes were stolen from a locked truck on Saturday night.

Team Cofidis were based in Lille ahead of the start of stage two, a challenging 130 mile ride from Lauwin-Planque to Boulogne-sur-Mer. The theft was only discovered in the morning, leaving team officials to scramble to find enough bikes to continue the day’s competition.

Robbers were able to break into the secured workshop truck and make off with 11 bikes, each valued at around $15,000. In total the thieves took around $165,000 of top-level bikes, including a special 795 Blade RS that Benjamin Thomas was planning to use during the tricky mountain sections in stage two.

“In the night from Saturday to Sunday, the Cofidis team was the victim of a burglary,” a statement from the team read. “The door of the workshop truck was forced open, and eleven of our LOOK Cycle bikes were stolen despite the security measures that had been put in place."

“Police officers visited the hotel in the morning to document the offence and begin their investigation. The Cofidis team strongly condemns this act of incivility and calls on the perpetrators to act with civility and responsibility.”

In recent years the Tour has become a target for thieves, attracted by the promise of cutting edge technology. At last year’s race TotalEnergies had 11 bikes and a variety of mechanics’ tools stolen ahead of stage 12, caused major logistical problems for riders.

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