All 13 stolen Exergy Tour racing bikes have now been recovered
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Jennifer Auh reports on Exergy Bicycles being stolen and recovered in less than 24 hours. Video by IdahoOnYourSide.com
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The Exergy Bike Tour hits a rocky start, when more than a dozen high end bikes are stolen before the race even starts.
The stolen bikes are worth more than $100,000, but thanks to good police work and alert citizens, the cycling team will still be able to cross the finish line with all of their bicycles.
Police have recovered all 13 racing bicycles stolen by thieves who raided the trailer of a professional cycling team that's trying to get its top rider to the 2012 London Olympics. Officials had earlier said there were 14 bikes stolen.
Boise Police recovered the racing bikes, just in time for the 5-day Exergy Tour in Boise, which begins Thursday.
Boise Police tracked down the missing bikes belonging to Team TIBCO from California. According to police, they received a tip from someone who spotted six of the bicycles on the Boise State campus. After a thorough search of the area, investigators found the rest of the stolen bikes nearby.
BSU students were shocked when they saw the yellow crime scene tape. "We're on a little break and came out and saw the bike area completely taped off, like a crime scene. It was very surprising," said BSU Student Kiley Zanecki.
Police said extra security is now in place for the athletes and their equipment. "We will advise our patrol officers, the locations where they're staying with extra patrols, during the time they're here," said Deputy Chief Pete Ritter with Boise Police.
On Wednesday morning, Exergy Tour workers said they were appalled when they found someone broke into the trailer containing the bikes, each worth almost $10,000.
Organizers said they went to check on the trailer, right after having some breakfast, and they found someone had broken into the back door and the lock was missing.
The thieves made off with 13 professional racing bicycles and gear, totaling to around $120,000 of equipment. Fortunately, Boise Police were able to find the bikes in good condition with no signs of major damage.
The cyclists told us the show must go on. “It puts a bad mark on them. It’s not a great way to start the race, but we'll do our best,” said Professional Cyclist Lauren Hall.
The investigation continues as police are still looking for suspects. Boise Police said if caught, the suspects in this case could face several felony charges for theft and/or burglary.
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