Two of three stolen bikes worth thousands returned to Stafford Ironman competitors
Two men were arrested today after three high-performance bikes belonging to Ironman 70.3 competitors were stolen in Stafford.
Police recovered two of the stolen bikes and returned them to their owners.
Chief Inspector Gemma Ward, of Stafford Local Policing Team, said two men, aged 33 and 37 and from the Stafford area, had been arrested on suspicion of burglary.
She said two of the bikes stolen had been recovered by officers, but a third bike is outstanding, and thanked the local community for their support following an appeal.
The three high-performance bikes, worth around £17,000 in total, were reported stolen from an outhouse at the rear of the Vine Hotel, in Salter Street, Stafford overnight.
They belong to competitors from across the UK and Europe taking part in the Ironman triathlon event, which finishes in the town centre on Sunday.
The first bike was a Giant Trinity, medium sized frame, with Giant SLR carbon wheels.
The second bike has a Red Planet X frame with NSW Zipp wheels and Di2 electronic gear shifting.
The third is described as a Cervelo P2 (61cm frame) with Zipp carbon wheels, TT handlebars, electronic shifters and speed-fill water bottle. It also has a power meter fitted in the pedal crank and a black pouch under the saddle.
Chief Inspector Ward earlier said a local business, Specialized, in Eastgate Street, had stepped in to provide equipment and support to the competitors whose bikes had been stolen.
Two men remain in police custody.
Anyone with information should contact Staffordshire Police on 101 referring to incident 220 of June 9. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org
