Tao Geoghegan Hart’s Garmin stolen – while he was on Vuelta podium

Tao ​Geoghegan Hart, second and third in successive Vuelta stages earlier this week, finally got on the podium after yesterday’s penultimate stage to collect the most combative rider award – but had an unwelcome surprise when he returned to his bike to discover that his Garmin had been stolen.

The 24-year-old, who had finished 12th on the 190.4km stage to Plataforma de Gredos, broke the news of the theft to his followers on Twitter.

To whoever stole my @GarminUK from my bike today whilst I was on the podium; no words .

— Tao Geoghegan Hart (@taogeoghegan) September 14, 2019

The replies ranged from the supportive through the helpful to the firmly tongue in cheek.

Garmin have no way for owners to track their devices and in fact no way to block or disable it so it's useless to thieves. Pretty poor for such an expensive device.

— Dave Doohan (@drDoohan) September 14, 2019

Its in the next firmware release, it’s at public beta at the moment.

— Duncs (@dunks517) September 15, 2019

pic.twitter.com/n7rwLB0g8L

— Duncs (@dunks517) September 15, 2019

Check Valverde's pockets, he's dodgy AF

— Steve Sugg (@SteveSugg) September 14, 2019

Geoghegan Hart isn’t the only pro cyclist to have had a bike computer stolen following a race – at the Tour of Catalonia earlier this year, UAE Team Emirates rider Dan Martin had his Garmin stolen immediately after a crash, while Romain Bardet of AG2R-La Mondiale replied to say that his power meter had been stolen in similar circumstances.

Looks like someone didn’t left empty handed of our misfortunes. Same story for my power meter who was on my broken bike https://t.co/M6e3y8QJIg

— Romain Bardet (@romainbardet) April 2, 2019