Bike theft sucks–as do bike thieves, but there’s a Polish dude who really tried to keep his stolen rig. I mean, really tried. So, in a weird way, kudos to him? Wait til you see how, too. There are plenty of stories on the pages of Canadian Cycling Magazine about stolen bikes–whether from pro teams, or some naked guy in Ontario. But this one definitely takes the babka.
The race of his life
A 20-year-old suspected bike thief in Sobótka, Poland, turned a police chase into a nice little workout. Only he didn’t realize there was an actual race happening.
According to TVP World, the man was spotted by officers riding what looked like a brand-new, high-end Specialized. Given he was already known to police, that raised some eyebrows.
When officers signalled for him to stop, he did the opposite. He hit the gas. Full gas, as they would probably say there.
Somehow, as he tried to shake the 5-0…he darted onto the course of a local cycling race already underway. Not ideal. For anyone. The peloton suddenly had an uninvited guest, and not one sitting up and waving apologetically.
Instead, he leaned into it.
Oh if only there were cell footage
In scenes that feel somewhere between chaotic and, erm, briefly impressive, the young criminal moved through the field and even got ahead of the peloton. For a moment…an actual moment, he was riding among the leaders. Podium-adjacent, if you will. It was like something out of Mr. Bean or Just for Laughs. But in Poland.
The cops later said his riding posed a danger to others on the course, which, yes, fair. This is not your standard breakaway tactic. (He prolly didn’t have a helmet on, or a racing licence. And he for sure did not pay the reg fee.)
Short story long: The move didn’t stick. After a short pursuit, officers caught up with him, recovered the Specialized, worth around 10 k Canuck bucks, and even picked up some navigation gear he’d ditched mid-escape. The bike had been purchased just two days earlier and was returned to its owner.
As for the impromptu race leader, his result won’t stand. He’s been charged with theft and could face up to five years in prison.
From solo move to jail time. Tough way to lose the sprint.
There’s a lesson here, well a few. Number 1, don’t steal bikes. Number 2, don’t jump into races on said bike races. Number 3, see number 1. There’s probably a Strava KOM joke here too, but we are serious journalists at Canadian Cycling Magazine and would never.