“This axe has been used before” – Cervelo reacts angrily to Visma’s bike theft

Two days ago, Team Visma | Lease a Bike were rocked by a major theft on the morning of stage 3 of the Vuelta a España. Thieves used a pickaxe to break into the team’s mechanics’ truck, stealing nearly all of the squad’s Cervélo race bikes with an estimated value of around €250,000. Some of the stolen machines were later discovered dumped in bushes, and with the help of spares, the Dutch outfit managed to line up for the stage as planned.

Cervélo’s marketing director Richard Keeskamp explained to Het Nieuwsblad how the crime fit into a wider pattern. "This axe has been used before. In a few days, those bikes will turn up somewhere deep in the Eastern Bloc, on a local version of Marktplaats. It happens with cars, it happens with bikes." He added, "I really can't shake the impression this was done to order. We did a lot of publicity for the launch of the new S5 model, and unfortunately, that also attracts people with bad intentions."

According to Keeskamp, the thieves knew exactly what they were targeting. "You see the same thing with bike shop burglaries: they just ride right into the display case and only take the expensive models. They leave the rest." He recalled a similar incident, saying, "I remember a Mountain Bike World Championship in Andorra. One morning, fifteen of the very latest models turned out to have been stolen, from a ski lift somewhere normally untouched. The next day, several teams were also robbed during the Vuelta, which was nearby. Unfortunately, it's commonplace."

The challenge of protecting bikes is complicated by professional methods. "Trackers can easily be scanned and removed. Teams often park their trucks with the tailgate against a wall, preventing it from opening. But if that doesn't work, it's a piece of cake for professionals." For Keeskamp, the solution requires a collective effort: "Teams staying in the same hotel should consult with each other and hire physical security together. Only then can you truly put a stop to bike theft during the race."