Frenchman Axel Zingle had insult added to injury when his bike disappeared while his discolated shoulder was put back into place after a crash during La Vuelta
One La Vuelta competitor had their bike stolen while a stage was ongoing. On day two of the 21-stage race, Axel Zingle saw his bike taken before the stage had even ended.
The Frenchman, who is a team-mate to two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard, was the favourite to win the entire 3,151-kilometre event. However, the second day proved to be a difficult and strange occasion for the Visma | Lease a Bike rider.
A huge crash on a slippery, rain-sodden roundabout resulted in a huge pile-up of riders. Vingegaard was the one who crashed, but made a quick recovery, while Zingle required treatment.
He was left with a dislocated shoulder after he fell down. Explaining what happened, he later said: “Unfortunately, I dislocated my shoulder.
“We had to put it back before I could continue. I wanted to keep going, but because I didn’t know how to put it back myself, I had to ask for help.”
Zingle, 26, sought assistance from a nearby ambulance, with medical staff helping to put his shoulder back in place. However, things took a stunning turn as his bike ended up being stolen by someone in the vicinity.
He added: “Something amusing happened to me. I wanted to grab a gel, and my shoulder dislocated again, so I had to stop again.
“There was a man who didn’t speak English very well, so I gave him my bike while I got into the ambulance to have my shoulder put back in place. When I came out, my bike was gone, so I had to wait five to 10 minutes because he had run off with it. That gave me quite a shock.”
Zingle would go on to finish in last place, a massive 24 minutes behind team-mate and stage leader Vingegaard. When he finished, a statement from his team confirmed he will have to leave the event.
It stated: “Unfortunately, after yesterday’s crash, our medical team had to decide that Axel Zingle is not fit enough to continue the Vuelta a España. His first Grand Tour with the team comes to an early end.”
He would not be the only racer in his team whose bike got stolen. While his was taken during the event, a large number of bikes were stolen from their team vehicles overnight, according to reports from Italian media.
Tuttobicisport claim as many as 18 bikes were stolen from the team vehicles while the racers slept in their hotel in Turin, Italy. The article also states the total value of the stolen bikes is currently at an estimated £217,000, although the police or the team are yet to confirm the figure.
It could prove to have an effect on their preparations for stage three, which, fortunately for them, is only 134 kilometres long from San Maurizio Canavese to Ceres. Spanish media outlet AS claimed some of the stolen bikes have been recovered.