Race Bike Theft: Team Jakroo Handsling Hit by Daylight Robbery in London

A brazen daylight robbery targeting the British domestic cycling team Jakroo Handsling Racing unfolded on a quiet residential street in Putney, southwest London on Friday. Two masked individuals on a moped stole a team race bike directly from a locked roof rack on a team manager’s car, leaving a second bike damaged and dangling from the rack.

The incident, captured partially on video by a local resident, occurred at approximately 2:55 pm. The thieves, both wearing balaclavas and helmets, were able to quickly remove one of the team’s red carbon fibre bikes. According to a statement released by Jakroo Handsling Racing on Instagram, one of the thieves physically jumped onto the car to rip the bikes from the locked rack while the other waited on the moped, which has been identified by police as bearing the license plate PK24 EXD.

The situation escalated when one of the team managers confronted the thieves. The Instagram post detailed that one of the suspects “brandished a large knife and threatened them.” Police have been notified and are investigating the incident, which the team described as crossing the line into “violent robbery.”

Jakroo Handsling Racing is urging anyone with information about the theft or the individuals involved to contact them directly or the Metropolitan Police. The team is also seeking to raise awareness about the increasing prevalence of organized bike theft in London.

This incident is not isolated. High-profile thefts have plagued the professional cycling world recently. Last year, during the Tour de France, 11 bikes were stolen from the Cofidis team truck before stage 2. More recently, at the Vuelta a España, as many as 18 bikes were stolen from Visma-Lease a Bike team vehicles prior to stage 3. However, those thefts occurred overnight, making the Jakroo Handsling incident particularly shocking due to its brazenness in broad daylight.

Jakroo Handsling Racing has been steadily growing its presence in the UK cycling scene. The team expanded from a debut season with eight British riders last year to an international roster of 10 riders for the current season, competing in both UK national races and events on the UCI calendar. The team recently participated in The Peaks 2 Day p/b Velo Dege stage race on March 14-15, where Oliver Dawson finished sixth overall.

The impact of the theft on the team’s participation in upcoming events remains unclear. The incident occurred in Putney, a suburb of London, while the Peaks 2 Day race was held more than 250 kilometers away in the Peak District.

Bike theft remains a significant concern for cyclists at all levels. Cyclingnews has recently published a guide outlining preventative measures and steps to take in the event of a theft, highlighting the importance of security measures and reporting procedures.

The team expressed their determination to continue competing despite the setback. “We won’t let this stop us,” the Instagram post concluded, emphasizing their commitment to raising awareness and seeking justice. The stolen bike was described as red and the team is hoping that public sharing of the incident details and the moped’s license plate will aid in its recovery and the apprehension of the perpetrators. The team also noted the significant damage to the remaining bike, stating it was “completely destroyed, hanging mangled off the roof rack.”