Between 2005 and 2010, a number of European cities, mainly in the north and west, initiated bike-share programs. Paris and Rome were among them. Both ran into similar problems, among them vandalism and theft. In both the City of Light and the Eternal City, bikes ended up at the bottom of bodies of water: the Canal Saint Martin in Paris and the Tiber in Rome. Also, a number of bikes went to--and a few were recovered in North Africa and Eastern Europe, particularly Romania.
The fact that so many bikes were not returned led Rome to pull the plug on its program, and for two companies to abandon the city. The Velib program nearly met the same fate before a Spanish company, Smovengo, took it over and rebranded it as Velib Metropole in 2018.
Over the years, I have heard from friends and acquaintances in France and elsewhere that Romania is a common destination for goods, including everything from watches and designer clothing to priceless artwork, stolen in other parts of Europe. The reasons I've heard and read include everything from the relative poverty of the country to the corruption or inefficacy of police and government officials.
Whatever the reasons, it seems that high-profile sports teams--including those in cycling--are not immune to the problem. About a month ago, the Italian national team competed--and won seven medals--in this year's World track championships, held in Roubaix, Belgium (the end-point of the Paris-Roubaix race, a.k.a. "L'enfer du nord.). The team stayed in a hotel just over the border in Lille, France that was selected specifically for its safety.
Well, we all know that stuff happens even in the safest places and structures. The team was getting ready for its return home when 22 of its Pinarellos--including four with a distinctive gold--were stolen from a team van. In total, those bikes were valued at around 400,000 Euros (about 451,790 USD).
Italian team members Simone Consonni, Filippo Ganna, Francesco Lamon and Jonathan Milan on the track bikes that were stolen.
The good news is that police recovered the bikes after they caught some criminals in the act of trying to sell them. Searches also turned up--surprise, surprise--other stolen goods, including eight televisions, ten mobile phones and drugs, in addition to 2800 Euros in cash.
On Monday, team mechanics travelled to Romania to pick up the bikes and bring them back in Italy.
