Club cyclist’s €10,000 bicycle stolen in planned robbery outside Kilkenny
An Irish club cyclist was the victim of a recent burglary on the outskirts of Kilkenny in which his new €10,000 bicycle was among a haul of goods in what appars to be a well-planned robbery.
Fergal Kennedy, who lives in Dunmore, believes the thieves who targeted his garage staked out his property in advance.
They stole his new Cervelo R5 racing bike, which he had built to his own specifications, four other bicycles and power tools, with a combined value of up to €20,000.
Mr Kennedy told the cycling news website Stickybottle.com: “I raced in the vets’ (IVCA) in Summerhill on Sunday and I came home and put the bikes away, and then Monday is an off day for me, I don’t do much on the bike.
“But on Monday night I went out to the garage to see if my bike needed a clean and when I went out the garage was empty. Then I checked had anybody left the gate open those couple of times last week, and they hadn’t.”
Mr Kennedy said that before the burglary last Monday morning he noticed that a side gate at his home, located about 6km outside the city, was opened. He initially thought nothing of it and closed it without checking with family members if they had left it open.
But he now believes the people who robbed him had come onto his property last week to check his garage before they returned to carry out the burglary some time between 9.30am and 1.30pm on Monday.
Gardai are investigating the robbery. They have urged anyone who may have noticed any suspcious activity in the area at the time or with information about the robbery to contact Kilkenny Garda Station on 056 777 5000.
PHOTO: Stickybottle.com
