The TotalEnergies team awoke on Thursday to discover that 11 of their Tour de France race bikes had been stolen overnight in Lioran.
According to reports in France, thieves broke into the TotalEnergies mechanic’s truck. Anthony Turgis and several other rider race bikes were stolen and stage 9 winner Turgis no longer has a spare bike.
The French team reported the theft to local police, with reports the 11 bikes were valued at 150,000 Euro. Mechanic toolboxes were also stolen, making it difficult for the team to build up spare bikes.
Uno-X Mobility and Israel-Premier Tech stayed in the same hotel but were not targeted by the bicycle thieves. According to a tourist who was sleeping nearby in a camper van, the vehicle’s alarm went off during the night.
"We don't know how it happened," Steff Cras told Sporza.
“They broke into our truck and 11 bikes are gone.
"They stole my third spare bike, so I can consider myself lucky, but for some teammates it is a shame that their first bike was stolen."
TotalEnergies secured help from other teams to cover their needs during stage 12. However, the TotalEnergies team cars had just four bikes and a few spare wheels on their racks during the early parts of the stage.
New frames, components and tools are being transported to the Tour de France from TotalEnergies’ Service Course in the nearby Vendee region of Southwest France.
"It's part of the game, it's a bit annoying but it doesn't bother the riders. We have stock and spare frames and components. It's especially annoying for the mechanic’s toolboxes," team manager Jean-René Bernaudeau told French media.
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