This tiny drill hole led to thieves gaining access to the team van of the An Post Rás winner and robbing at least €30,000 in bikes and kit.
The thieves that broke into the team van of An Post Rás winner Lukas Postlberger gained access to the vehicle by drilling a tiny hole in the lock, it has emerged.
The value of the kit stolen has now been calculated at at least €30,000.
The theft took place at the City North Hotel off the M1 where Postlberger's Tirol Cycling Team was staying ahead of the final stage of the race from Drogheda to Skerries last Sunday.
Having drilled a hole - pictured above - in the lock those behind the robbery were able to open the door and climb inside and help themselves to the kit stored in the van.
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And once they had taken what they wanted, they simply closed the door again, meaning not even the team personnel noticed the robbery the following morning.
McNicholl with race winner Postlberger on the way to the podium in Skerries just hours after the sly theft of their kit was noticed.
It was not until the mechanic wanted to make some last minute adjustments to Postlberger's bike before they left the hotel to go to the stage start that the theft was noticed.
"The mechanic Mario couldn't find his tool box so we checked everywhere for it," said Sean McNicholl of Church Island Cycling, who travelled around the Rás with the team assisting them.
"I was certain we'd put the tool box in the van the night before but we checked everywhere anyway and we even contacted the hotel we'd stayed in the previous night."
McNicholl said the team then had to leave to be on time for the stage start, meaning their search was cut short.
And it was only when they drove into Drogheda and parked up that they began to notice more equipment was missing.
The Tirol team sitting in front of the van that would be broken into via simple drill hole in the lock; the presence of CCTV in the car park where the theft occurred proving to be useless.
“We noticed Lukas’s bike was gone. It was the one he was on the previous day when he crashed.
“Then we noticed lots of spare wheels were gone, a frame, turbo trainer. It just got worse and worse.
“The van had been locked up at 7 o’clock on Saturday evening and then it was moved from the back of the hotel because we didn’t think it would be safe.
“So it was parked at a coach park to the side of the hotel. It was under a camera but apparently it didn’t record anything.
“It was pointing in the wrong direction. So nothing at all was recorded by the camera.”
The bike and frame that were stolen are exactly the same as this one; keep an eye out for them.
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McNicholl said once the door of the Fiat Ducato van, which is a large new vehicle, was drilled it would have popped open.
“We noticed the hole in the door at the start of the stage. They definitely drilled it, apparently it’s quite common.
“And the handle of the door still worked meaning they were even able to close it so nobody would suspect anyone had been near it. It was unbelievable; the stress it caused...
“Lukas also had his crash injuries to contend with on the last stage so we didn’t tell him until after the race was over about the robbery.
“We reckon the value of everything taken is upwards of between €30,000 and €40,000.”
Most of the monetary value of the stolen kit was tied up in the wheel sets that were taken - DT Swiss Spline brand; 38s and 55s.
The race winner’s stolen bike was a KTM Revolator fitted with Dura Ace electronic Di2 group set. The shifter and rear mech were damaged in Postlberger’s crash on the penultimate stage.
The frame stolen was also a KTM Revolator and was brand new and unused.
Seven sets of wheels were stolen of the DT Swiss Spline brand; 38s and 55s.
The wheels were fitted with Schwalbe tubulars; the rear wheels had Dura Ace 11 speed cassettes.
The missing tool box of mechanic Mario Lex Mueller was made by Parat. Filled with tools built up over the career of its owner, it is worth several thousand Euros.
The stolen Parat tool box - like this one - was worth a couple of thousand Euros, with the specialist tools in it built up over the years.
“We’d be asking people to stay vigilant; keep an eye out for this kit,” said McNicholl.
“It might be offered to somebody or put up for sale online. Most of this kit wouldn't be common in Ireland so if it's offered for sale, people should notice it.”
McNicholl said the Irish cycling community had already donated around €500 to help replaced the stolen tool kit.
The Co Derry man has created a "warning advert" on the Done Deal site; flagging the fact the kit has been stolen in the event it is offered for sale through that site.
Anybody with information can contact McNicholl on 0044 2879386502 or 0044 7770592622.
Gardai in Laytown station are investigating the robbery and can be contacted on (041) 9813320.
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