Ian Bibby reunited with stolen bike

Madison-Genesis rider Ian Bibby has been reunited with his stolen bike this afternoon after Lancashire Police recovered the machine from a house in Lancaster four days after it was stolen.

Bibby's machine, a steel Genesis frame equipped with 11-speed Shimano Dura Ace and one of only ten in existence, was stolen from outside a Lancaster cafe last Thursday. 

Following a tip-off, police recovered it in the nick of time; it was ready to be sold on to a buyer who intended to strip the bike into parts and sell them via online auction site eBay.

"I got everything back, even my bottles!" Bibby told CW while on his way home with the bike. "The police said I was lucky, because apparently they don't get many stolen bikes back."

The bike was undamaged apart from a missing computer, which was later recovered in the same house. Bibby understands the bike was due to be sold for £2,500, well under its actual value. 

"I thought they might have cleaned it, but it was still dirty," Bibby added. "That was a shame!"

Bibby struggled to get a replacement bike since Thursday due to the exclusivity of the Genesis and the time needed to send and set a new bike up from scratch. He borrowed a freind's bike but it didn't fit well enough for him to train over the weekend. 

"It's been a massive hassle because I'm racing at Eddie Soens this weekend and then in Thailand after that. I'm going to go out for a big ride this afternoon to make up for lost time!

"But I would like to say thanks to all the people who tweeted about the bike and helped spread the word."

Read Ian Bibby's top tips for descending in this week's Cycling Weekly, out on Thursday February 28.

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