Thieves struck the Tour de France and got away with 11 bikes from the Cofidis team truck in the early hours before stage 2 of the 2025 edition, leaving the French outfit scrambling to find enough equipment for their eight riders to start stage 2 from Lauwin-Planque to Boulogne-sur-Mer on Sunday.
According to the team, each bike was worth approximately €13,000, bringing the losses to nearly €145,000, but even more damaging to the morale was the theft of a special 795 Blade RS that mountains classification leader Benjamin Thomas was supposed to ride during stage 2.
"In the night from Saturday to Sunday, the Cofidis team was the victim of a burglary," the team stated in social media posts. "The door of the workshop truck was forced open, and eleven of our LOOK Cycle bikes were stolen despite the security measures that had been put in place.
"Police officers visited the hotel in the morning to document the offence and begin their investigation. The Cofidis team strongly condemns this act of incivility and calls on the perpetrators to act with civility and responsibility."
It's not the first heist to hit the Tour de France in recent years. Last season, it was the TotalEnergies team who had 11 of their Enve race bikes stolen in the night before stage 12, taking the mechanics' tools as well, making it even harder for them to replace their machines.
At Milan-San Remo last year, Sonny Colbrelli was among a group that was able to foil a theft of the Bahrain Victorious bikes, chasing away around ten young thieves.
Teams take measures to secure their trucks against theft but it didn't stop industrious burglars from getting away with 22 of the Italian track team's bikes at the World Championships in 2021, either. Those bikes were recovered in Romania.
"LOOK Cycle is saddened by the theft of Team Cofidis’ bikes," LOOK Cycle CEO Federico Musi said. "Thanks to the efficiency of the team’s mechanics and LOOK’s support, the riders were able to start this morning on their spare bikes.
"We have opened our factory in Nevers today specifically to prepare replacements for the stolen bikes, ensuring Team Cofidis can continue racing under optimal conditions.
"The speed and expertise of our teams in Nevers mean that the 2025 Iconic Black Radial bikes will be ready and on the start line as early as tomorrow morning. Everyone at LOOK stands firmly behind the Cofidis team—we can’t wait to see both the bikes and the riders shine in this Tour de France!"
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