Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the team of Vuelta a España leader Jonas Vingegaard, has been hit by a major setback after suffering a large-scale theft on the eve of stage three. The Dutch squad confirmed late last night that thieves had broken into their mechanics’ truck with a pickaxe, making off with nearly all of the team’s race bikes. The incident, which has cast a shadow over both the race and its Italian start, leaves one of the biggest teams in the peloton scrambling to ensure they can line up today fully equipped.
The news was made official through a team press release, which stated: "Tonight, our mechanics' truck was broken into and several of our bikes were stolen. The mechanics themselves are working hard to ensure that the team is fully prepared for the third stage of the race. The police have already launched an investigation into the incident." Despite the chaos, the team insisted they are doing everything possible to avoid disruption to their campaign for the red jersey.
This blow comes just as Jonas Vingegaard is set to wear the leader’s jersey for the first time in this edition of the Vuelta, following his victory on stage two. Instead of celebrating his position at the top of the general classification, the team is now facing a logistical emergency. The ability of Visma – Lease a Bike to recover quickly will be critical, as any delay or shortage of equipment could directly impact their star rider’s chances of defending his lead.
Beyond the sporting implications for Visma, the theft also reflects poorly on the security surrounding one of cycling’s most important races. It is not the first time such an incident has happened: during last year’s Tour de France, Cofidis also suffered a similar loss when their bikes were stolen overnight. Organizers now find themselves under pressure to guarantee the safety of teams’ equipment, especially when the reputation of a Grand Tour is at stake.
The embarrassment extends beyond Spain, as the opening stages of this year’s Vuelta are hosted in Italy. The country’s role as host was meant to be a celebration, but instead it has been marred by a high-profile security lapse. The expectation now is that both local authorities and race organizers will increase vigilance to ensure such thefts do not continue to plague professional cycling.
For Visma Lease a Bike, the focus is on finding solutions in time for the coming stages. For the Vuelta itself, the priority must be restoring confidence that riders and teams can compete without worrying about losing the very equipment they need to race.
Read also
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- for what?frieders311-11-2026
- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
- Where Merckx just rode every single race he could and won all the time, Hinault won less often (percentage wise) because he was more judicious in what he raced. His palmares are nuts. He had amazing rivals, one to start his career and another to end it in the grand tours. His classics were solid. What sets him apart from Merckx and Pogačar are that he basically dabbled in the classics while the other two love(d) them. I used to compare Pogačar to Hinault for his grand tour record and occasional classics win, until I realized that the comparison was wrong. Pogačar loves the classics - ah, the memory of his reaction to finishing fourth in a 2 person sprint in Flanders in ‘22: utter domination in any one day race since then, even when he doesn’t win. Hinault lived for the grand tours and I don’t think anyone else will ever reach his record. 10 wins in 13 attempts? Good lord. An amazing rider. Wish there was more footage to watch.RidesHills11-11-2026
- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
Loading
7 Comments