José Serpa’s preparations for his first year with the Lampre team have been interrupted today by his mugging while on a training ride near Cúcuta in his native Colombia.
The 2012 Tour de Langkawi winner was half an hour from home when his training was interrupted by two thieves riding a motorbike, according to Vanguardia.com
They brandished a knife at him and also hit him in the face and back, stealing his bike.
“They saw me and seized the opportunity,” the shaken rider said, admitting to feeling very insecure after the incident. “I’m afraid to go back out to train and that causes a lot of frustration. You can get back material things, but not life.”
Some well known Colombian riders have had similar issues in the past, with Oliverio Rincon being kidnapped twice in 2000 and Lucho Herrera also being taken for some time the same year.
Serpa was training in advance of the Tour de San Luis, a race he has twice been runner-up in. It begins on January 21st; in the meantime, his new team will hope that he is able to stay safe and remain focussed.
He has moved to Lampre Merida after seven years with Gianni Savio’s Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela team. His Tour de Langkawi win came with two stages plus the mountains classification, and helped secure the interest of the Lampre – Merida squad.
It will be the 33 year old’s first time with a WorldTour level squad.