Orica-GreenEDGE have got the new season off to a very bad start. Thieves robbed the headquarters in Brunello in the Italian province of Varese and seized equipment that may have a total value of 200,000 euros. The damage goes beyond the significant economic value as it has affected some of the most important riders on the WorldTour team and the Australian track team.

It seems that the thieves knew exactly what they were looking after. The theft happened the night between last Wednesday and Thursday and the damaged was discovered yesterday morning. 45 frames, 70 groupsets, different wheels and a team van were among the stolen equipment.

Thanks to GPS tracking, the truck was found and although it has yet to be confirmed, some of the equipment may have been in the van.

At the moment and in view of the preparation of the preseason, the problem of the groupsets seems most complicated. In recent years, several cycling team have been robbed in Italy and in some cases teams have had to withdraw from races or ride on equipment borrowed from rival teams.

"This theft hurts everyone," Ivan Santaromita told La Provincia di Varese. "Some of the material was for the Australian national team. It is not only the economic value. The fact that we have lost groupsets could create problems for the next races  The groupsets are fundamental equipment and are used by the mechanics for the preparation of our bikes.

"In recent years. several cycling teams have suffered thefts  in different parts of Italy. In some cases they had to give up the race. Months of preparation went up in smoke. Things like this do not make you feel more secure in your home. It really leaves a taste of bitterness."