Visma Lease a Bike’s bikes stolen before Vuelta stage three

Members of the Team Visma Lease a Bike team during stage one of the La Vuelta. Photo / Getty Images

Cycling team Visma Lease a Bike announced that a number of their bikes were stolen before stage three of the Spanish Grand Tour.

Jonas Vingegaard took the red jersey for overall leader on Sunday by winning stage two, one of three to be raced in Italy, but the theft left Visma scrambling to replace bikes before stage three, a short but winding 134.6km run to Ceres in the Piedmont region.

“Last night, our mechanics’ truck was broken into and several bikes were stolen,” Visma said.

“Our mechanics are working hard to ensure that the team is fully prepared for the third stage. The police have launched an investigation into the incident.”

The Gazzetta Dello Sport reports that Visma lost 18 bikes worth a total of €250,000 ($292,378), while Movistar and Lidl-Trek, who were staying in the same hotel near Turin, did not lose any equipment.

David Gaudu took revenge on Vingegaard, surging to victory in the third stage of the Vuelta Espana in Ceres, in Italy, a day after being edged by the Dane.

“That was hard,” said Gaudu at the finish.

“I finished in the top three yesterday, I won today. I would have signed up for that scenario with both hands.”

After the bonuses were totted up, the two men were tied at the top of the overall standings but Vingegaard retained the red jersey.

The day before, Vingegaard powered away from his rivals in an uphill sprint to take the overall lead. Frenchman Gaudu finished that stage third.

On Monday, at the end of a hilly 134.6km run from San Maurizio Canavese, Vingegaard was again well positioned as the pack came out of a final hairpin for a rising run to the line.

But Gaudu handled the corner better and when the Frenchman, who rides for Groupama, and Mads Pedersen, a Dane with Lidl Trek, accelerated in the home stretch, Vingegaard eased up, unable to match them.

“I got into the right wheel in the last two kilometres,” Gaudu told Eurosport. “Then Mads didn’t close the door and I took advantage of it. I probably had a little more speed.”

Vingegaard collected a four-second bonus for finishing third but Gaudu gained 10 seconds and moved level on time with the Dane.

Gaudu had not won at cycling’s World Tour level since 2023. This season, after an anonymous 66th place in the Giro d’Italia, his team did not take him to the Tour de France.

“I’m so happy for the team. I’ve had a tough time this season, sometimes through my own fault, sometimes not,” said Gaudu. “But the guys always got me back on track. Raising my arms is a great reward for the team.”

On Tuesday, the Vuelta rolls into France on a 206.7km stage that starts in Susa in Italy, climbs over a couple of Alpine summits and then drops down to finish in Voiron near Grenoble.