Triathlete whose bike was nicked from roof rack runs after thief... in flip flops

A Brighouse man was reduced to sprinting after a bike thief in flip flops after his Trek Madone bike was wrenched from his car’s roof rack outside his mother-in-law’s house. “If I had been wearing my trainers I would have got him,” said Nick Hannah, who had been competing in a triathlon that day.

The bike was taken on Sunday, July 3, with the thieves using a green Ford Fiesta which is said to be known to police. The men can be seen removing the bike in CCTV footage of the theft which has been published on the Huddersfield Daily Examiner website.

Hannah’s insurance company won’t pay out as while the bike was locked, he had not used a D-lock. His wife, Adele, has said that until 20 minutes prior to the theft, the bike had been inside the car, but had been moved to accommodate children.

“I was so close to catching him,” said Hannah. “He jumped on the bike as I was coming out. I was in flip-flops and then went barefoot. I was five metres away from him but he was in a decent gear. By the time I got to my car he was long gone. These people are despicable.”

It was his second disappointment of the day after he’d earlier failed to qualify for Great Britain. “Fortunately that was my last race of the year,” he said.

Hannah is appealing for information to get his bike back. It is blue and white and had his race number – 953 – on the seat post, although that will probably have been removed.