Too hot to handle? Armstrong’s TT bike reportedly recovered

Sacramento police reported recovering Lance Armstrong’s stolen time trial bike on Wednesday.

The custom Trek 1274/27.5 TTX vanished from a Team Astana truck parked outside a hotel after the Amgen Tour of California prologue, along with three road bikes belonging to Janez Brajkovic, Steve Morabito and Yaroslav Popovych.

Brajkovic’s bike was found Tuesday at the hotel from which the other bikes had been stolen. Hotel employees told police that the bike had been in storage and there had been “a miscommunication between the rider and the hotel.”

On Wednesday, a local resident who police said wishes to remain anonymous brought Armstrong’s bike to police headquarters. The department released a statement saying that “the facts surrounding how the person came into possession of the bicycle are not being released at this time due to an ongoing investigation.”

“The bicycle is currently in the care of the police department and arrangements will be made to
return the bicycle to the owner.”

That owner never had any doubts. Asked by VeloNews editor in chief Ben Delaney whether the theft bothered him, Armstrong replied: “Nah. Bikes are replaceable. I suspect that bike will come back. There’s no way you can steal a one-of-a-kind bike. And unless you keep it to yourself, or burn it, that bike comes back every time.”

Indeed it will. John McCasey, executive director of the Sacramento Sports Commission, told the Sacramento Bee that the bike could be taken to Armstrong today in Clovis or Thursday in Visalia.

“We’re going to get it to him as quickly as we can,” McCasey said. “Whenever we can get it released and get it down to him.”

FILED UNDER: Amgen Tour of California / Road TAGS: Amgen Tour of California