Relief for Cofidis after major theft incident involving 11 stolen bikes

Before the start of the second stage of the Tour de France, Sunday morning was marked by enormous chaos. It was pouring rain, and the infrastructure around the tiny Lauwin-Planque couldn't handle the massive Tour caravan. The result was a major traffic jam and a delay in the event's start. The teams were given time to take their positions. But for Cofidis, that wasn't the biggest problem of the Tour so far.

The night before, 11 bikes were stolen from the French team. "On Saturday evening, the Cofidis team was the victim of a theft," the team said in a statement on social media. "The door of the workshop van was forced open, and eleven of our LOOK bikes were stolen despite the security measures in place." Despite the stolen bikes, all riders were able to start the difficult second stage as planned: Emanuel Buchman finished in 20th place for the team.

The incident has been reported to the French police. “Police officers arrived at the hotel in the morning to observe the crime and start an investigation.” It is highly doubtful that the bikes will be found. However, Cofidis hopes that the thieves will realize the seriousness of the matter and return the bikes themselves. “The Cofidis team strongly condemns this rude act and calls on the thieves to show a sense of responsibility.”

On Monday evening, it became clear that all eleven bicycles had been found. Team manager Cédric Vasseur told France Télévisions that "the eleven stolen bicycles had been found." Five of them had already been found the night before in a forest near the French team's hotel. Afterward, the last six bikes were also found. This is good news for Cofidis, which saw all eight of its riders finish the chaotic third stage.