Rio star’s bike stolen from home
ADOUBLEMEDAL winning Paralympic cyclist has been left distraught after her bike was stolen just 24 hours after it arrived back from Rio.
Crystal Lane, 31, won silver and bronze medals at this summer’s games in Brazil.
But the road bike on which she claimed the bronze in the C4-5 road race was stolen from her home overnight.
Thieves managed to pick the lock of the outhouse where it was being stored in Heaviley before taking it.
Crystal had only picked it up from her training base at the National Cycling Centre in Clayton hours earlier after it was shipped back from Rio.
It has forced the cycling star, who won silver in the C5 individual pursuit in the velodrome, coming second to friend and teammate Dame Sarah Storey, to delay her return to training.
The charcoal grey Cervelo R5, with a red crossbar, has been specially-adapted for Crystal, who has an under-developed left-arm – and it has a sticker with her name on it.
Crystal said: “It’s really annoying and upsetting, especially as I only just picked it up.
“The last time I rode it was when I won the bronze medal. Obviously, that makes it special.
“I still have the one I rode in London so it’s much more than metal and tyres, it’s memories as well.”
Crystal says it was taken between 10pm on Tuesday night (Sept 27) and 7am on Wednesday.
She said: “They were very clever about it. They managed to pick the lock and closed the door behind them. They must have done it really quietly as well because we’ve got a dog.
“We only noticed as they’d left the lock on the step and we were a bit baffled at first.
“It has been specially adapted for me and if they want to sell it on they would have to have it adapted back.
“They probably didn’t realise that, or the significance it has, so I’d just urge them to examine their conscience and hand it back.
“If they could quietly leave it back in the garden where they took it that would be much appreciated.”
Crystal planned to begin some light training for the first time since the Games, but that has had to be delayed.
She said: “Obviously I want to change the colour of those medals, but I can only do that through training and things like this really don’t help.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.