“They threatened me with a firearm” - Vuelta a Espana runner-up robbed at gunpoint while training, just days before 50th birthday
CyclingTuesday, 15 September 2026 at 19:00
Oscar Sevilla has been robbed at gunpoint while training in Bogota, with the veteran Spaniard targeted by two armed men less than two weeks before his 50th birthday.
Sevilla, who remarkably remains a professional rider with Team Medellin-EPM at the age of 49, was intercepted during a morning training ride in the Colombian capital. The former Vuelta a Espana runner-up escaped without injury and managed to keep hold of his bicycle, although the attackers stole his mobile phone.
"Today, at 8:20am, I went out to train and, on the Autopista at 170th Street, I was intercepted by a large motorcycle," Sevilla explained in a post on X. "They threatened me with a firearm. They weren't able to steal my bike, but they did take my mobile phone. A patrol car passed by, I reported what had happened and they told me they couldn't do anything."
Hoy, 8:20 a. m., salí a entrenar y en la Autopista con calle 170 fui interceptado por una moto de alto cilindraje. Me amenazaron con un arma de fuego. No pudieron robarme la bicicleta, pero sí el celular.
— Oscar Sevilla 🇨🇴🇪🇸 (@oscarsevilla76) September 15, 2026
Pasó una patrulla, denuncié el hecho y me dijeron que no podían hacer nada https://t.co/mqgVkE82KK
Team Medellin condemns armed robbery
Team Medellin-EPM subsequently confirmed that two armed men had been involved and said Sevilla was unharmed following the ordeal.
"Our rider was the victim of a robbery this morning while heading out to train, on the Autopista at 170th Street in Bogota," the Colombian Continental team said in a statement. "Two armed men on a motorcycle threatened him in order to take his mobile phone. Fortunately, Oscar is fine. From Team Medellin-EPM, we condemn these events, which affect not only Oscar, but the public as a whole."
The attack comes at a remarkable stage of Sevilla's career. Born on September 29, 1976, he is due to celebrate his 50th birthday later this month while still registered as a professional cyclist.
Sevilla first turned professional with Kelme in 1998 and was once regarded among the brightest Grand Tour talents in Spanish cycling. His breakthrough came at the 2001 Tour de France, where he finished seventh overall and won the white jersey as the race's best young rider. Later that year he came within touching distance of an even greater achievement at the Vuelta a Espana.
Sevilla wore the race leader's jersey and eventually finished second overall behind Angel Casero, before returning to finish fourth at the Vuelta the following season and seventh again in 2005.
His European career later included spells with Phonak, T-Mobile and Relax-GAM before his racing life increasingly shifted towards the Americas.
Sevilla has since become one of the most enduring figures in Colombian cycling. He obtained Colombian citizenship in 2012, has spent well over a decade with the Medellin set-up and continued winning races deep into his forties. As recently as 2023, aged 47, he won the overall classification at the Tour of Hainan, a UCI ProSeries event.
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Not Sevilla's first violent robbery in Bogota
Disturbingly, this is also not the first time Sevilla has been violently targeted while training in Bogota. In March 2018, Sevilla was attacked during an early-morning ride in the north of the city when a group of men knocked him from his bike and threatened him with knives.
His bicycle and mobile phone were stolen on that occasion, while Sevilla suffered a fractured arm or wrist and two broken ribs.
Speaking to Colombian outlet Blu Radio afterwards, Sevilla described the attack in stark terms. "More than a robbery, it was an attempted murder," he said. "I begged the thieves to take the bike, but not to hurt me."
That incident ultimately led to a very different police response from the one Sevilla says he encountered this week. His stolen bicycle was recovered the following day and five suspected members of a gang known as 'Los Roll' were later detained. Bogota authorities said at the time that the group was suspected of involvement in more than 80 bicycle thefts.
Despite the severity of the attack, Sevilla resisted using it to condemn the country where he had established his second home and much of the latter half of his career. He returned to competition and remained based in Colombia, continuing a professional career that now stretches across almost three decades.
Sevilla renewed with Team Medellin-EPM for the 2026 season and has continued racing internationally this year. Barring an unexpected change before September 29, the former Tour de France white jersey winner and Vuelta a Espana runner-up will therefore reach his 50th birthday while still an active professional cyclist.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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