A robbery at Shimano ends with the loss of historic bikes from Van der Poel, Sagan or Alaphilippe

Last Friday, the Shimano Experience Center in Valkenburg, Netherlands, was the scene of a movie-like robbery in which thieves made off with an incalculable loot. The loot included bicycles belonging to Peter Sagan, Mathieu van der Poel, or Julian Alaphilippe.

A robbery at Shimano ends with the loss of historic bicycles

Among the stolen bicycles are the Canyon Aeroad CFR - World Champion Edition belonging to Van der Poel, the Pinarello Dogma of Egan Bernal, the Specialized S-Works of Alaphilippe, and the Specialized S-Works Venge of Sagan. Shimano has explained that the bicycles are "irreplaceable" and the loss goes "beyond any monetary value", lamenting the loss of these cycling treasures.

The robbery was discovered by the center's staff on Saturday, August 31 in the morning, as they found the locks forced and the bicycles missing. Shimano has expressed relief that no one was injured during the incident and has called on the public to report if they have any information about the robbery or if anyone tries to sell the stolen bicycles on the black market. These models are unique, so their selling price could be astronomical.

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"Last night, six irreplaceable bicycles were stolen from our Shimano Experience Center in Valkenburg. This morning, our colleagues saw that the locks had been forced and discovered that the bikes were no longer there", they stated from the brand.

This robbery is the latest in a series of similar incidents where high-end bicycles and equipment have been targeted by organized criminal gangs. The Shimano Experience Center, opened in 2019, is located near the routes of the Amstel Gold Race and is a landmark for cycling enthusiasts who want to get up close with Shimano technology and top models.

In fact, the robbery at Pinarello, which occurred last November in their showroom in Treviso, is a clear example of how high-value bicycles have become a coveted target for criminal organizations due to their high resale value. In this robbery, a group of masked thieves broke into the facilities and made off with bicycles worth 250,000 euros. What's most surprising is that the criminals returned twice on the same day, managing to steal a total of 19 items after cutting a fence and gaining access through the workshop's emergency exit.