The daylight robbery saw the thieves escape on a moped while carrying the red bike, as its owner watched on helplessly
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The moment masked robbers ripped an elite cycling team's £8,000 bike from a car roof-rack, destroying a second in the process, have been caught on camera.
Dramatic footage uploaded to social media by the bike's owner, captures the two thieves arriving on the residential street in Putney, south London, shortly before 3pm on Saturday, March 14.
Within seconds, one man leaps from a moped, with the individual rapidly conducting the "brazen" daylight robbery, leaving a second bike frame "mangled" as he attempts to rip it from the Volvo XC40's roof.
The robbery, partially captured on camera by a neighbour, saw one of the thieves "jump onto the team manager’s car" before "physically ripping the bikes off the locked rack".
A second individual – the getaway rider – is seen to wait nearby, with the pair making their escape within minutes, holding the bike over their heads.
Manager Tony Poole, 33, had ventured to the leafy address to collect the bikes ahead of his journey to the Peak District, where the team was scheduled to race at the weekend.
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When confronted, "one of the thieves brandished a large knife and threatened them," writes the poster, after the video was uploaded to the JAKROO Handsling Racing Team's Instagram account.
As the thief clambered onto the car, large dents were left in the vehicle alongside a cracked windscreen.
"When confronted by one of the team managers, one of the thieves brandished a large knife and threatened them (off camera).
"The thieves then sped away with one of our red @jakroohandsling bikes. They left the other one completely destroyed, hanging mangled off the roof rack," wrote the poster.
The poster explained that they were sharing the video online "in the hope that we raise awareness and push efforts to improve safety on our streets and safety for cyclists".
Adding: "Police have been informed. This wasn’t overnight theft. This was broad daylight, in a residential street, in front of witnesses.
"We won’t let this stop us."
Mr Poole told The Times: “I started loading the car and left two bikes on the roof, they were locked. They were unattended for maybe five minutes.”
Amassing hundreds of comments, one user was seen to reply: "London is an absolute state right now and this will continue to happen until government do something about it."
Another added: "I was a cop in london. It hurt me to see it towards the end of my service when crimes stopped being prioritised/investigated.
"I know someone who lives in london who doesnt cycle there as there has been so many robberies of bikes being ridden. Annoyingly they wont even realise what theyve taken."
A third user noted: "London is absolutely cooked".
However, some were quick to point the finger of blame at the team, insisting the bikes should have never been left on show.
One user commented: "Oh come on- isn’t it obvious that this was likely to happen. You’ve left “money” on the roof of the car. London has gangs riding round on scooters looking for “money” to steal. It’s very sad and I’m sorry for what you lost but you kinda set yourself up for this really didn’t you?"
LBC has contacted the Metropolitan Police for comment.
