Stolen €82,000 bikes puts brakes on team’s hopes

A GROUP of dedicated cyclists may miss out on a chance to compete on the world stage because their valuable bikes have been stolen.

The national downhill mountain bike team pleaded for financial help yesterday after all 11 bikes were snatched in France at the weekend.

The team’s bikes, worth an estimated €82,000, were taken from a hotel in Alpe d’Huez in the south of France.