Alexandr Kolobnev helped to set up Rodriguez(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Team Katusha during stage 2(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Simon Spilak (Team Katusha - Canyon)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Russian Elite men were unable to go for one last training ride on the eve of Sunday's road race after thieves stole their bikes from the mechanic's truck parked in the hotel in Prato.
However it seems that Kolobnev and all the other riders will be able to race in the Elite men's road race. The Katusha service course is in Brescia, just two hour north of Florence. The Russian team is already building new bikes for the riders and they are expected to arrive in Florence later on Saturday.
It is not the first time that ladri di bicicletta (bicycle thieves) have targeted teams before major races.
In February thieves cleaned out the Garmin-Sharp team during the Tour Mediterranean in France, stealing 17 bikes, 60 sets of wheels and other equipment worth a total of 250,000 Euro.
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Stephen is one of the most experienced members of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. Before becoming Editor-at-large, he was Head of News at Cyclingnews. He has previously worked for Shift Active Media, Reuters and Cycling Weekly. He is a member of the Board of the Association Internationale des Journalistes du Cyclisme (AIJC).
