French Pro Continental outfit Vital Concept Cycling Club used the aerodynamic Orbea Orca Aero frameset for the race (Image credit: Ben Delaney & Josh Evans)
The Vital Concept riders train with the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment.(Image credit: Vital Concept Cycling Club)
French Pro Continental squad Vital Concept raced on Orbea Orca framesets(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Vital Concept-B&B Hotels were the victim of bike thieves overnight at the Ruta del Sol. Twelve of their road bikes were stolen, but the team was able to get replacements from their supplier, and other teams, and was at the start of stage 2 on Thursday.
The bikes were stolen overnight, with just two not being taken. The team's time trial bikes, which will be needed on Friday, were not taken, apparently being stored at a different location.
Lotto Soudal is staying at the same hotel, but were not affected.
The French Professional Continental team were able to get replacement bikes from their supplier Orbea, a local bike store Cicloscabelo, and also from rival teams Euskadi Basque Country-Murias and Fundacion Euskadi, which also ride Orbea.
Bike thefts at race are sadly not unusual. In 2017, Bahrain-Merida lost 10 bikes to thieves at the Hammer Series Limburg.
That same year, thieves stole from CCC Sprandi Polkowice 18 bikes and six sets of wheels only days before the Amstel Gold Race. The equipment was found a day later, when the thieves apparently abandoned them due to the publicity about the theft.
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