Thieves steal 16 Silence-Lotto bikes

Silence-Lotto is 16 bikes lighter in Italy. (JAMIE MCDONALD/AFP/Getty Images)

Friday night, thieves broke into the Silence-Lotto lorry in Italy and stole 16 Ridley racing bikes and a number of spare wheels.

According to team spokesman Filip Demyttenaere, the heist included eight racing bikes and eight reserve bikes used by the riders in the Giro della Provincia di Grosseto in Italy.The team has informed the Grosseto organizers that they have no possibility to continue the event.

"The theft was done by an organized gang," Demyttenaere said. "They first broke a couple of windows on a team car, and then pushed it away to gain access to and open the lorry.

"By chance, Silence-Lotto are well insured by Callant Insurances at Bruges," he added.

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