Thieves Steal €65,000 in Bikes Through Roof in Tienen

Thieves have stolen 10 high-end racing bicycles worth approximately €65,000 from Velodome, a bicycle shop in Tienen, Belgium, by cutting a hole in the flat roof and hoisting the bikes out with a rope and hook. The burglars skillfully bypassed the shop’s heat and vibration alarm system, suggesting they had conducted prior reconnaissance, according to VRT NWS.

The Heist

Shop manager Joeri Geens closed the store on Saturday at 5 PM. When he returned on Tuesday at 9 AM, he discovered a section of the ceiling had collapsed and 10 racing bikes were missing. He immediately notified police, who arrived shortly after, as reported by Hageland Actueel.

Police believe the thieves climbed onto the flat roof via the back of the shop, where they could work unseen. On the roof, officers found a pair of metal shears used to cut the opening silently — without grinding or power tools that would create noise. The stolen bikes, each weighing between 6 and 10 kilograms, were then pulled up through the roof using a rope and hook, a technique the shop owner described as like “fishing” the bikes out.

“The thieves likely climbed onto the flat roof via the back of the shop,” Geens told VRT NWS. “On the roof, police found metal shears. With that, the burglars made the hole, without grinding or making noise. From the roof they pulled the bikes up, probably with a rope and hook.”

Alarm Bypass and Prior Reconnaissance

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the burglary is that the shop’s sophisticated alarm system — equipped with multiple heat and vibration sensors — did not trigger. Geens noted that the thieves knew exactly where to position themselves to stay “under the radar.”

“Yet there are many alarms in the shop that go off with heat and vibrations, but the burglars skillfully bypassed them,” Geens said. “They were in the right place to stay under the radar.”

Geens believes the thieves conducted reconnaissance beforehand. Just a week earlier, all alarms went off at 5 AM — possibly a test run. Police were notified at the time but found nothing suspicious.

The Stolen Bikes and Financial Impact

According to shop owner Yannick Steenwinckel, speaking to ROBtv, the thieves targeted high-end racing bikes from brands including Factor, Scott, and Cube. The total value of the stolen bicycles is approximately €65,000.

The financial damage extends beyond the stolen bikes. Some display bicycles were damaged when the ceiling fell, and the roof itself requires repair. The total cost therefore exceeds the €65,000 value of the stolen merchandise alone.

The shop has no internal CCTV cameras, though Geens said they are now considering installing them. Police are checking whether nearby businesses have camera footage that could aid the investigation.

A Pattern of Targeted Thefts

This is the first time the Velodome branch in Tienen has been targeted, but other locations in the chain have suffered similar fates. In 2022, 12 bikes were stolen from the Aarschot branch through a hole in the wall. Two years ago, a thief smashed a display window at the Berchem location and made off with one bike.

The Tienen theft fits a broader pattern of organized, professional bike thefts across Belgium. In June 2025, masked thieves in Zonnebeke used a 3-meter tree trunk to smash through the back door of a bike shop, stealing 11 racing bikes worth €70,000 in under a minute. In Lummen, thieves recently stole 7 expensive bikes worth €32,000 in a matter of minutes.

Investigation and Outlook

Police zone Getevallei is conducting the investigation, but the absence of direct camera footage presents a significant challenge. Investigators are relying on forensic evidence — including the metal shears found at the scene — and any footage from nearby businesses.

Given the pattern of organized bike theft rings operating across Europe, there are concerns that the stolen bikes may already have been moved out of the country. Research has shown that a growing share of high-value bike thefts in the region are carried out by professional organized gangs, with stolen bikes often trafficked to Eastern European markets.

The Velodome team, meanwhile, is left to reckon with the audacity of the operation. “They apparently watched us for a while and entered through the roof,” Geens told Hageland Actueel. “It’s quite something what they did. We didn’t expect this.”