Early one Friday at the start of this month, Miguel Varona was cycling around Archway junction on his way to his regular ride in Regent’s Park. He knew something was wrong as soon as three men, dressed in black, pulled up alongside him on a moped. As they went past, the trio looked closely at his bike, then turned after they had passed by, clearly targeting him.
“It sped towards me and the second man tried to take my bike,” he recalls. Varona, 49, is a keen racer, and considered trying to outpace the trio. On second thoughts, considering his young family, he stopped and handed over his beloved Trek Madone, worth several thousand pounds. As the moped sped into the distance, he noticed it had no number plates. He’s been nervous about riding ever since.
