Triathlete's bike stolen from under his nose

An elite triathlete from New Zealand had his $8,000 racing bike stolen from him while he was having coffee in downtown Vancouver late last week, and is now asking for the public's help in recovering it.

James Elvery, who was in the city for the World Cup Triathlon on Sunday, said his black Cannondale was parked less than two metres from where he was sittingat a downtown cafe when the thief grabbed it.

"I was just shocked it was taken from so close to me," said Elvery, who gave chase, jumping over the hoods of parked cars, running into traffic and shouting for someone to help him.

"There was one guy ona bike and he was riding next to me as I was running, and I was yelling at him, and he just sort of turned away and rode off. A bit frustrating."

Elite athletes often don't carry bike locks because they're concerned about weight.

Noting that about 1,500 bikes were reported stolen in Vancouver last year, and hundreds more thefts went unreported, police spokesman Const. Tim Fanning offered some advice to owners of expensive high-performance bikes.

"With an $8,000 bike, personally I would just bring it in wherever I was going. I would ask the shopkeeper, or somebody, and just explain to them, 'Look it, I have an $8,000 bike, can I bring it in?'"

Elvery was forced to race on a borrowed bike in Vancouver on Sunday. He is now in Germany for another race on a borrowed bike, as he's not sponsored and he can't yet afford a new bike.

The stolen bike is described as all black with fat tubes and Cannondale written in white, with silver wheels and red New Balance stickers, and the front and back brakes on the opposite sidesfrom traditional North American bikes.