Vietnam cycling team's bicycles burned down in Thailand ahead of Asian championship

Vietnamese cyclists flew to Thailand on Wednesday afternoon to prepare for the tournament. Upon arrival in Bangkok, they boarded the organizers’ bus for the competition venue in Phitsanulok, a city in northern Thailand. Their equipment, including bicycles, spare tires, shoes, and helmets was transported separately by a truck provided by the organizing committee. However, the truck caught fire and the team’s equipment were completely burned down.

"We returned to the hotel at 8 p.m. and received the bad news. All our competition equipment with nearly 30 bicycles were destroyed. The damage is extensive; we estimate it could be worth billions of VND (VND1 billion = US$39,600)," the team’s coach Mai Cong Hieu said on Wednesday evening.

Images from the scene show flames engulfing the truck and burning all of Vietnam cycling team's bicycles and equipment on Feb. 5, 2025.

The bikes, each valued at approximately VND200 million, included highly specialized competition models, such as time trial bikes. In addition to the bicycles, expensive protective gear, shoes, helmets and other equipment were also destroyed.

Bicycles belonging to the Singapore team, which were being transported in the same truck, were also burned down by the fire.

"We’ve trained hard through Tet to prepare for this important tournament, and now we have no equipment left to compete. It’s a devastating situation," Hieu added.

On Thursday morning the organizing committee held a meeting to assess the damage suffered by both the teams of Vietnam and Singapore. According to Nguyen Ngoc Vu, general secretary of the Vietnam Cycling Federation and leader of Vietnam cycling team in Thailand, the host country and other teams will lend the athletes seven bicycles to ensure their participation.

"The organizing committee has contacted us to determine the extent of the losses and to gather the necessary sizes for helmets and shoes so that suitable replacements can be provided," Vu said.

The bicycle used by cyclist Nguyen Tuan Vu is worth more than VND250 million ($9,900). Photo by Thay Thuan

Coach Hieu expressed gratitude for the quick response from the organizing committee but noted the challenges of using new bikes that athletes haven’t had time to adjust to. Competition bicycles must be customized to suit each rider’s height, weight, and specifications, and switching to unfamiliar equipment will create difficulties.

"With the borrowed bicycles, we can only encourage the team to compete for the honor of their country, but it’s hard to demand high achievements from them," Hieu said.

Also on Thursday, the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC) hosted a meeting in Bangkok with the participation of the International Cycling Union (UCI) president to report the incident. The organizing committee and the ACC will discuss the compensation for the Vietnam cycling team.

The Vietnam cycling team consist of leader Nguyen Ngoc Vu, coaches Mai Cong Hieu and Huynh Van Chanh, and five female cyclists Nguyen Thi That, Nguyen Thi Thi, Nguyen Thi Thu Mai, Lam Thi Kim Ngan and Lam Thi Thuy Duong, as well as two male athletes, Nguyen Van Duong and Nguyen Tuan Vu. Ten other young cyclists are also part of the team.

The 2025 Asian Road Cycling Championships, held from Feb. 7 to 16, will feature nearly 500 elite cyclists from across the continent. Competitors include national team members, U23 and U18 cyclists and senior athletes in the Master category. The tournament is part of the UCI system and serves as vital preparation for the SEA Games 33 at the end of this year.

In previous tournaments, Vietnam achieved notable success. That won a gold medal in the road category in 2023, earning a ticket to the Olympics. She also secured a silver medal in 2024.