"Thieves climbed onto our garage and then onto the roof of the house" – Lidl-Trek rider’s home ransacked as he enjoyed romantic holiday with girlfriend
Cycling
Lidl-Trek rider Otto Vergaerde has spoken out after his home in Melle, Belgium was burglarised while he was on holiday in Spain with his girlfriend, with thieves breaking in via the roof and stealing jewellery and watches.
The 31-year-old Belgian had only just arrived for his break when the shocking news reached him. “Not exactly enjoyable, of course,” Vergaerde admitted in comments to Het Nieuwsblad.
Burglars targeted his property over the weekend, taking advantage of the experienced World Tour pro being out of town, snatching specific valuables from Vergaerde's home, but somewhat curiously leaving other items untouched — behaviour even the Belgian himself found unusual. “I actually find it strange," he explained. "They left behind plenty of things — like a television and paintings. They were only interested in jewellery and watches,” Vergaerde clarified.
It was Vergaerde’s father, who regularly visits to feed the chickens, who noticed the break-in and alerted him. Initially, the method of entry was unclear.
Thieves entered through Velux window after climbing roof
Vergaerde, who rode notable races such as Paris-Nice, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Tour de Suisse for Lidl-Trek in 2025, says police quickly pieced together how the burglars entered his home. “They discovered that the thieves had climbed onto our garage and then onto the roof of the house. In the end, they got in through a Velux window.”
The thieves even disabled a motion-sensor security light — though they still left traces behind. “They left a lot of footprints and dirt in the house.”
With police investigating, the Belgian has appealed to local residents for information. “If anyone noticed anything or also experienced a suspicious situation over the weekend, they should contact the local police.”
A gutted Vergaerde continues his holiday abroad, hoping for answers as the investigation progresses. More information from police is expected in the coming days.
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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- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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