Police recover $120,000 of racing bicycles stolen from pro team

Boise's mayor said Wednesday that police recovered all 14 racing bicycles stolen by thieves who raided the trailer of a professional cycling team that is trying to get its top rider to the London Olympics.

Mayor Dave Bieter said the bicycles appear to be in good shape. A police department spokesman says the bicycles were found in three spots near the Boise State University campus.

Team TIBCO reported $120,000 worth of bicycles and more than a dozen carbon racing wheels stolen from an enclosed trailer after thieves cut the lock late Tuesday or early Wednesday morning. The bikes were valued between $5,000 and $8,000 each.

The team is in Boise for the Exergy Tour, a five-day stage race with 16 teams and dozens of riders from around the world.

California-based TIBCO is trying to get its top rider, Megan Guarnier, to the London Olympics for the road race and had been counting on a top performance in Idaho before USA Cycling officials name their selections on June 15.

"A tough day to start with, but really good news now," Guarnier said, after learning the bikes had been recovered.

Getting the bikes back was important, because each of them has been fitted to the riders' individual sizes and needs, team spokesman Jeff Sobul said.

Replacement bikes wouldn't have been the same.

"The next step will be for our team mechanic to go over every bike with a microscope to make sure all the bikes are in perfect shape for the riders come race time," Sobul said.

Boise police are still trying to figure out who took the bikes, Capt. Pete Ritter said.