'His dynamic riding meant that he was among the leaders and within podium reach' – man on stolen bike being pursued by police almost wins race
In Poland, a fit bike thief joined a bike race and staged a breakaway from the main pack
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If riders in a cycling race in Poland on Sunday were surprised to be joined by a suspected bike thief cycling a freshly stolen steed, they were extra shocked when he started overtaking them and mounting a breakaway bid for the finish line.
As reported in Polish news outlet TVP, police were providing security for the local race, which was taking place in city of Sobótka in the country's southwest, when they spotted a man they recognised as the perpetrator of previous crimes, cycling nearby. He was astride a spanking new, high-end road bike, a Specialized model later reported to be worth around 28,000 złoty (just shy of £5750), which the keen-eyed officers strongly suspected he had stolen, and they ordered him to stop.
Ignoring their shouted commands, the 20-year-old man instead took flight and attempted to hide in the crowds of spectators watching the cycling event. The police gave chase and during his efforts to escape, the suspected bike thief veered onto the race route and started riding along with the competitors, pedalling so hard that at one point he managed to break away from the main pack.
Article continues below“The man even overtook the main peloton, posing a danger not only to himself but also to the riders and event staff,” said Anna Nicer, a police spokesperson from the nearby city of Wrocław in a statement the following day. “His dynamic riding meant that, for a moment, he was among the leaders and within podium reach.”
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After a spirited sprint the extraordinary breakaway came to an end and the police managed to catch the errant cyclist and recover the bike, as well as various pieces of kit he had ripped off the bars and thrown to the side during his athletic attempt to escape, including some navigation tech.
The Specialized bike was subsequently returned to its relieved owner, and the miscreant has been charged with bike theft. It's believed he will be looking at a five-year prison sentence if he is found guilty and convicted, but who knows – with good behaviour he could be out in time for the 2028 or 2029 Tour of Polan, if any teams are interested in taking him on.
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Having recently clipped in as News & Features Writer for Cycling Weekly, Pat has spent decades in the saddle of road, gravel and mountain bikes pursuing interesting stories. En route he has ridden across Australia's Great Dividing Range, pedalled the Pirinexus route around the Catalan Pyrenees, raced through the Norwegian mountains with 17,000 other competitors during the Birkebeinerrittet, fatbiked along the coast of Wales, explored the trails of the Canadian Yukon under the midnight sun and spent umpteen happy hours bikepacking and cycle-touring the lost lanes and hidden bridleways of the Peak District, Exmoor, Dartmoor, North Yorkshire and Scotland. He worked for Lonely Planet for 15 years as a writer and editor, contributed to Epic Rides of the World and has authored several books.
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