Malaysian youth cycling team’s bikes, equipment stolen from velodrome
Edmonton’s cycling community responded quickly to get a competitive youth cycling team from Malaysia back on the track after their bikes and equipment were stolen from the Argyll Velodrome.
A total of 10 specialized bikes, valued at around $45,000, were taken from a storage shed on site between 9 p.m. Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Edmonton Police said in a news release Thursday.
The team of six cyclists from the state of Sarawak have been in Edmonton since mid-June training daily for a major competition back in Malaysia in September.
Sarawak doesn’t have any velodromes to cycle on and the team’s head coach, Leon Schepers, is a Canadian resident so it seemed fitting to travel to Edmonton, team assistant coach Myrtle Wilken said.
The team of 17- to 21-year-olds was shocked when they found their new bikes and personal items gone from a locked fenced-in storage shed, Wilken said, but they are also using it as a learning experience.
“We’ve sort of made a lesson out of it that anything can happen. You can’t change what happens, but you can change how you react and how you cope with it,” she said.
Instantly, the velodrome and Juventus Cycling Club offered up a fleet of bikes — some personal bikes — for the athletes to use so they could get back to training.
Juventus club president and velodrome board member Gail Wozny said it was important for the cycling community to do what they could to get the athletes on the track as quickly as possible.
“There’s been a tremendous amount of generosity extended to these guys to get them up and running again in a hurry,” she said.
Even still, Wozny said the theft doesn’t look good on the city.
“It’s heartbreaking, really. You just hate to think if it reflects poorly on Edmonton or Canada,” she said.
But the team is back training daily and that is what matters, Wilken said.
If the cycling team wins a gold medal in September, Sarawak will be building an indoor velodrome for their use.
“There’s a lot at stake,” said Wilken, noting the athletes are focused even with the loss of their prized possessions.
Police are asking anyone who may have information or seen the stolen bikes to contact them at 780423-4567.