Spin Cycle: How to catch a criminal

Spin Cycle is Escape Collective ’s news digest, published every Monday and Friday. You can read it on the website(obviously) or click here_to have it delivered straight to your inbox._

Hello!

Welcome back to Spin Cycle.

The bike racing has been excellent over the past few weeks and we've loved it.

But, if we're being honest, it's kind of got in the way of our usual vibe in these slightly grubby, turned down at the corner pages.

Don't worry! This week we have state intervention in France's next great Tour de France hope, a criminal getaway plan involving a bike race, and the Volta ao Portugal could be back in a big way. Rejoice!

Hype train meets state-mandated replacement bus service 🚌

As the Paul Seixas hype train continues to hurtle down the track towards obvious, eventual French Tour de France victory (having received an oil change via his Itzulia Basque Country win to send it to a new record top speed), there's a fresh twist in the tale.

With Decathlon-CMA CGM seemingly losing their grip on the 19-year-old homegrown talent with each passing day and race result, they may be about to call in the big dogs. Or le grand chien , as it were.

A report from Eurosport Spain states French President Emmanuel Macron may be drafted in to try and convince the young Frenchman of the importance that he stay with a French team. The article links Macron to Seixas' manager Joona Laukka, who is said to be seeking a salary of €8m a year for his rider.

Things were already sounding a bit desperate for Decathlon, reports emerged that the team was considering switching its licence to Switzerland in order to avoid the 45% social security contributions required for all French employers, a rumour rubbished by the team, it has to be said.

Any excuse to trot out this GIF, to be honest.

But it would mark quite the nadir. What's the point in un-Frenching yourself in pursuit of a French victory? That seems closer to the problem of Seixas going to UAE in the first place.

We much prefer this Macron-shaped state meddling. In this era of rampant, unchecked capitalism and growing tech feudalism, we appreciate an elected leader using their increasingly limited power to actually try and do something to make the world a better place.

Oh, and Macron has previous. In 2022 he apparently helped convince French footballer Kylian Mbappé to sign a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain instead of going to Real Madrid.

Mbappé did sign a new deal, but then went to Real Madrid anyway two years later, apparently in search of Champions League glory. That next season, PSG won the Champions League, and look good for this year's competition too with Madrid knocked out again earlier this week.

We're just saying, Paul Seixas, maybe listen to Macron on this one!

The next WorldTour revelation ... this Polish criminal? 👮‍♂️

Here's a remarkable story from Southwestern Poland of all places.

A 20-year-old man had just nicked a Specialized Tarmac SL8 in the town of Sobótka, valued at around €6,500. He was spotted by police, who were well aware of the suspect and tried to flag him down, guessing the bike may be stolen.

But the man sprinted off, and in his attempts to evade the fuzz he made his way onto the course of a local bicycle race, trying to hide within the peloton.

However, such was his speed he actually broke away from the bunch and briefly joined the breakaway.

The briefly stolen bike (Image credit: Wrocław Police)

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