A portion of the bikes stolen from Visma – Lease a Bike have been recovered, team manager Richard Plugge confirmed Monday ahead of Stage 3 of the Vuelta a España.
“Some of the stolen bikes were found in the bushes, that’s correct,” Plugge told WielerFlits. “It’s good news for us. Though I don’t know why they were abandoned there.”
The theft came shortly after Jonas Vingegaard’s impressive double-stage victories on Sunday. The Dane also took the maillot roja. “Our team truck was broken into and several bicycles were stolen. We suddenly found ourselves part of a police investigation this morning. It’s not the way you want to start the day, especially after yesterday’s success,” Plugge said.
Visma’s mechanics moved quickly to prepare the team’s rides. “They did an incredible job rebuilding all the bikes and making sure we had everything we needed. The bikes will be ready soon,” Plugge said around 90 minutes before the start. “Most riders still have their own bikes plus a spare, so thankfully we’re able to start.”
Plugge noted that Jonas Vingegaard’s bikes remained untouched, reducing some of the immediate workload. “It was a rush to get everything checked and rebuilt, but fortunately, everything worked out in the end,” he said.
Italian media reports suggest up to 18 Cervélos were taken, valued at roughly €250,000, around 400k Canadian, though Plugge did not confirm the figures. “We have enough bikes to start the race. Other teams, including Movistar and Lidl-Trek, helped out with some adjustments at the hotel, which was great to see,” he said.
Looking ahead, Plugge emphasized the need for better security measures at stage race hotels. “This isn’t the first time a cycling team has been targeted during a race. We need to consider how we can better protect ourselves, because in this case the organization didn’t provide hotel security as they have in the past,” he added. At the 2025 Tour de France, Cofidis experienced something similar, with many of their Look bikes ripped off. Just like Monday, some of the bikes were recovered in bushes.
Day 3 of the Vuelta a España is a lumpy ride from San Maurizio Canavese to Ceres for a total of 134.6 km.
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