Sherborne’s duathlon world champion Zoe Tucker has been left “devastated” after thieves broke into her garage and stole two high-end racing bikes – including the £7,000 Giant Propel she rode to victory at the World Championships in July.
The theft, which happened overnight between Thursday 7th and Friday 8th December, has shaken Zoe, 47, who had only moved into the property at the end of October. She’d recently replaced the garage door to better protect the bikes, but the intruders forced open a small window and exited with both bikes via the garage door.
“It’s not just the bike,” Zoe says. “It’s what it represents. That bike is built to my measurements. I won gold on it. It’s unique – and the thought of someone just taking it like that… it’s a personal invasion of privacy.”
The duathlon is a race combining a run, a cycle and another run. Zoe became world champion in July after a 5km run, a 19.7km bike ride, and a 2.5km run to finish – not only winning her category but also finishing as the fastest British woman across all age groups.
She discovered the break-in after beginning a training session on her indoor turbo trainer. “I got off my bike to have a look and realised the garage window had been forced open – there were shards of wood on the floor.”
Now training for the European Championships in July and the World Championships in Abu Dhabi next November, Zoe describes the theft as a “game-changer”:
“That was my racing bike. Everything was tailored to me – the fit, the setup, even the aero bars. You can’t just replace that with something off the shelf. In the short term I’m hoping someone may be able to loan me something so I can at least continue training.”
Security at her home has since been significantly upgraded, with new CCTV, lighting and locks now in place. A friend has launched a JustGiving campaign to raise funds for a replacement. “My friends have been amazing,” she told The BV. “I don’t expect the bikes will come back… the red one, the bike I raced on, is so unique I expect it’ll be locked away for a few months and then reappear. But I’ll be looking for it. I won’t give up on it.”
She added: “I just hope someone finds it in themselves to return it, no questions asked – or at least share information that might lead to it being found. That’s my only real hope.
“It was clear the thieves knew what they were coming for. Very few people had been into the garage, and the bikes hadn’t been out recently because of the weather.”
Dorset Police confirmed they are investigating. In the meantime, Zoe hopes her story will raise awareness. “It’s not just about me. I want other people to think twice about how they store and protect their bikes.”
Anyone with information can contact Dorset Police or Crimestoppers anonymously.
