New blow to the peloton: 20 bikes stolen from the TotalEnergies team during the race

Just a few days after Visma-Lease a Bike had their bikes stolen, thieves strike again at the peloton. Not at La Vuelta but the incident occurred during the Tour du Poitou-Charentes in France.

Another massive bike theft in a race raises alarms in the peloton

A total of 20 bikes from the American brand ENVE were stolen last night from the TotalEnergies team truck that is competing in the Tour de Poitou-Charentes, a race taking place in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

This theft comes just a few days after Visma-Lease a Bike had 18 bikes stolen during their time in Italy for La Vuelta. Considering that the average price of bikes used by professionals exceeds €10,000, it's clear why thieves have found a good source of income in cycling teams.

RECOMENDADO

The most reliable method for determining how many calories you burn while cycling

The Tour de France is cutting its prize money in 2026: here's how the 2.3 million euros will be distributed

The UCI uses this index to determine when the heat is dangerous for cyclists

Impossible challenges and cycling legends: The 10 toughest mountain passes on the planet

Counter-steering, braking, and tracing: the basics for improving your curve handling

Does the current UCI limit for bicycle weight make sense?

Additionally, it's adding insult to injury for the French team, who also had their bikes stolen last year during the Tour de France, and this year, Cofidis also suffered a theft during the Tour de France.

Fortunately for TotalEnergies, most of the stolen bikes are road bikes so they shouldn't have a problem competing in today's stage, which is a time trial, although they may need to borrow some bikes.

Furthermore, the team's headquarters are just a couple of hours away by car, so they are likely already preparing new bikes to be able to finish their participation in the Tour de Poitou-Charentes, where their cyclist Jason Tesson is currently in third place overall after winning the first stage.