Bicycle theft strikes gold-medal winner Kristin Armstrong

When Olympic gold-medal winner Kristin Armstrong of Boise opened on Tuesday two bicycle boxes used to ship home her racing bicycles she used in the Summer Games in London, they were empty.

Armstrong’s time trial bike

One — the Felt DA time trial bike — is valued at about $30,000. The other — a Felt F1 road bike — is worth slightly less.

The bikes had been on display at Germany’s Eurobike bicycle show from Aug. 29 through Sept. 1 after the Olympics.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist is quoted at her team’s website, Exergy Twenty12:

“The bikes mean so much to me. My TT bike is a symbol of all the hard work that has been put in to this journey. It is sad to think that somebody out there has taken this away from me and my family.”

The bikes were shipped from Bremen, Germany, on Sept. 7, and routed through Frankfurt, Germany, and then Atlanta before arriving at Armstrong’s front door in Boise.

Exergy Development Group says they’ll offer a “substantial award” for return or knowledge of the bikes’ whereabouts. Send any leads to teamtwenty12@gmail.com .

Armstrong’s husband, Joe Savola, told KTVB that the Department of Homeland Security was looking into the case because it might involve a bicycle theft on an international scale.

[In an unrelated case, the theft was reported just as some of the bikes taken in a Boise bicycle theft spree earlier this year are being returned to their owners. Michael Lawrence, 19, pleaded guilty to two counts of grand theft after stealing 13 professional racing bicycles;  prosecutors dropped 12 other counts of grand theft, according to the Idaho Statesman.

[The 13 bicycles were stolen from the Tibco To-the-Top women’s pro cycling team just days before the Exergy Bike Tour in May. They were later recovered. As many as 50 bicycles are believed to have been stolen in the spree. Many ended up with buyers in Portland.]

Here are the details on the two bikes stolen from Armstrong (A Slowtwitch.com writer recently wrote about the Felt DA):

Felt DA Time Trial Bike
Frameset: Felt DA1 51cm, Custom Kristin Armstrong/USA Paint Scheme
Group: SRAM RED 2012
Cranks: SRAM BB30 w/SRM Powermeter
Chainrings: SRAM TT 54/42
Aerobars: Zipp VukaBull Basebar with Carbon Race Vuka Shift Extensions TT Shifters: SRAM 900 TT
Shift Cables: Gore Ride-On Ultra Light
Brake Cables: Gore Ride-on
Front Wheel: Zipp 808 Firecrest Tubular
Rear Wheel: Zipp Super-9 Disc Tubular
Tires: Vittoria Crono 22mm
Saddle: fi’zi:k Ares TT Specific
Pedals/Cleats: Speedplay Nanogram Zero (not with stolen bike – only thing that made it back to Boise)
Other:
K-EDGE Pro Chain Catcher
Kristin Armstrong name on top tube

Felt F1 Road Bike
Frameset: Felt F1 54cm, Custom Kristin Armstrong Paint Scheme
Group: SRAM RED 2012
Cranks: SRAM RED w/SRM Powermeter
Bottom Bracket: SRAM Red GXP Ceramic Bearings
Chainrings: SRAM Red 50/34
Cassette: SRAM RED 2012 11-26T
Stem: Zipp Service Course SL 110mm
Bars: Zipp Service Course CSL 42cm
Shift Cables: Gore Ride-On
Wheels: Zipp 404 Firecrest Tubular
Tires: Vittoria Corsa CX
Saddle: fi’zi:k Antares
Pedals/Cleats: Speedplay Nanogram Zero
Other:
K-EDGE Pro Chain Catcher
K-EDGE Number Holder
Arundel Carbon Bottle Cage