Masked men break into new 3T factory and steal 20 bikes
Thieves drilled a hole through a one-meter thick wall to gain access
Masked thieves have broken into the newly opened 3T factory and stolen 20 bikes.
The theft happened on Monday morning at the bike and component company’s headquarters in Lombardy, Italy.
A group of six to eight people gained entry to the warehouse by drilling a hole through a one-meter thick wall.
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Thieves stole 20 bikes including a custom painted Exploro, done by Italian frame builder Dario Pegoretti who died in recent months.
A statement from 3T, posted on Instagram, said: “Only a couple of weeks ago we proudly shared the news about our new factory building with you – a place where warehouse, office and the production of the 3T Torno sits under the same roof.
“This morning however, six to eight masked people entered our factory building after drilling a hole through a one-meter thick wall to enter our warehouse.
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“We are shocked at the professionalism of the thieves and appreciate any information to help identify the thieves or locate our bikes.”
Both Strada and Exploro model bikes were stolen in the raid, and 3T are asking anyone with information to help identify the thieves or find the bikes.
The statement from 3T added: “20 bikes were moved quicker than the police could have arrived.
“Among the stolen Strada and Exploro is a custom-paint Exploro by our dear friend Dario Pegoretti who died a few months ago.
“If you see any of our bikes offered on the Internet, at stores or in any other way that looks suspicious, please let us know.”
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In a second post on Tuesday, the company said: “We wanted to thank you all for your kind words in response to yesterday’s happening at our factory building in Italy.
“We appreciate your calls to help us in retrieving the 20 stolen bikes and locating the thieves.”
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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