Lampre hit by €1 million burglary

[Mr Haematocrit]

More than €1 million (£832,000/US$1.36 million) worth of gear, including 111 Merida frames, was stolen in a burglary at WorldTour team Lampre-Merida's head quarters near Milan in Italy.

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/lampre-hit-by-eur1-million-burglary-39150/




111 Frames does the word wow suffice ?

 

[VamP]

In team colours? How easy will that be to shift?

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

In team colours? How easy will that be to shift?

Where the hell are they going to store them all, I have enough trouble sneaking one bike past swmbo.
I suspect it was planned extensively.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Where the hell are they going to store them all, I have enough trouble sneaking one bike past swmbo.
I suspect it was planned extensively.

And there seems to have been a fair bit of inside knowledge. I wonder what Lampré's financial stability looks like....

 

[Scoosh]

That must be about the third team to have had their kit nicked - there were a couple on the Giro/ TdF or some other race, weren't there ?

That's a LOT of stuff to have been taken. Ouch !

 

[jdtate101]

Yep, I suspect an inside job. Either current employee or a ex employee. I'm sure the police will be thinking the exact same. Obviously they have insurance, but with all those bikes gone I suspect the only one's left are the individual riders "training" bikes they keep at home. Thankfully this is off season otherwise it would be disastrous for the team. There should be enough time for the factory to ramp up and churn out the replacements, but it's all the other kit too...cars, tools, wheels, cassettes etc etc etc... However most of these teams keep very tight records of their stock so they will know exactly what is required, and the suppliers usually will be able to replace stock fairly fast. The only items that will take longer will be the team cars and especially the truck.

 

[thom]

The only items that will take longer will be the team cars and especially the truck.

They nicked the truck too ?!

 

[jdtate101]

They nicked the truck too ?!

Yep...that would be the customized mechanics trunk. I suspect they chucked all the stuff in the back and drove the car and truck away. Those trucks are one off's so would take months to build/replace. I suspect we may see Merida operating out of the back of a normal lorry in the Spring season...

Although saying that..they may just get it back. It's highly unique and difficult to shift, so the thieves may just break it and sell the parts, asme with the cars. Don't know how they think they will shift the bike frames???

 

[TissoT]

I wonder if they where stolen by using a few minis.. then on to a coach and over the boarder....
Might see froome riding one into his next tdf victory..

 

[RedRider]

111 Frames

Nelson. What were they thinking of?

 

[Booyaa]

In team colours? How easy will that be to shift?

I think you can paint bike frames

 

[VamP]

I think you can paint bike frames

Sure. At a cost. Multiplying your chances of getting caught. Bearing in mind you'll be selling these on cheap anyway.

 

[zimzum42]

I reckon it was this fella...

 

[TissoT]

I reckon it was this fella...

Looks as though he could of swallowed the frames..... He looks a suspect !