Two arrests made in theft of charity cyclists’ bikes

Winnipeg police have arrested two men in connection with the theft of two high-end bicycles belonging to a pair of New Brunswick cyclists who were crossing Canada to raise awareness and funds for men’s mental health.

The bicycles, valued at about $15,000, were stolen July 24 from a vehicle parked in the 400 block of Portage Avenue while Thomas Clark and Valentin Duquenne were inside CBC Manitoba for a media interview.

Police said one of the stolen bicycles was recovered Aug. 7 after officers spotted a 60-year-old man riding it in the 1800 block of Bannatyne Avenue West. He was arrested and charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 before being released on an appearance notice. The bicycle was returned to its owner.

Investigators later identified a suspect in the theft and learned the bicycles had been traded to the 60-year-old man and another unidentified male.

On Aug. 23, officers arrested 42-year-old Kuol Thomas Madit at the intersection of Notre Dame Avenue and Balmoral Street. Madit has been charged with two counts of theft over $5,000, trafficking in property obtained by crime over $5,000, possession of fentanyl and failing to comply with probation. He was detained in custody.

The second bicycle has not been recovered.

Clark and Duquenne, both from Moncton, N.B., completed a more than 6,000-kilometre cycling journey across Canada on Aug. 11 as part of their “Men Don’t Ride Alone” fundraiser for men’s mental health initiatives.