The pro road race Sam Bennett was set to ride in Germany tomorrow, Friday, has been called off because police believe they have foiled a terrorist attack on it (Photo: Sirotti)
A professional bike race that Ireland’s Sam Bennett was set to ride in Germany tomorrow, Friday, has been called off after police there unearthed what they believe was a plan by terrorists to attack the event.
The Rund um Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt has been called off following the arrest of a married couple that police believe have links to Islamist extremist terror groups including al Qaida and Frankfurt’s Salafist movement; an extremist group within Sunni Islam.
International media reports suggest the home of the arrested couple led officers to seize an assault weapon and large quantity of ammunition was well as chemicals that can be used in bomb making. A functioning pipe bomb is also believed to have been found.
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Frankfurt's chief prosecutor Albrecht Schreiber told a press conference the man arrested had been seen buying the chemicals seized.
The suspects are aged 34 and 35 years. The woman is Turkish and her husband, who is known to the police, has joint Turkish and German citizenship.
Bennett was set to race for the first time since his crash at Scheldeprijs in Belgium three weeks ago, but his return will have to wait now (Photo: Sirotti)
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"Suspicions were heightened in recent days by the fact that the (man) accused was observed in the area where tomorrow's cycling race will take place," Mr Schreiber said.
"The result of the raid shows that our suspicions were confirmed.”
State police chief Stefan Mueller was asked about the possibility that an attack similar to that on the Boston Marathon two years ago, when three people were killed and 260 injured, was being planned.
"Clearly since the Boston Marathon these security concerns have been part of the considerations of how to deal with that (danger) before every marathon race in Germany - and that is also valid for cycle races," he said.
Bennett was set to ride the race with his Bora-Argon 18 German ProContinental team.
In was to be his first race back in action since crashing in the sprint at Scheldeprijs in Belgium three weeks ago.
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