Two men on a charity ride to raise awareness for men’s mental health had their bikes stolen in downtown Winnipeg on Friday morning.
Val Duquenne, 24, and Thomas Clark, 23, stopped in for an interview at CBC Manitoba’s Portage Avenue studio.
When they left, their bikes were gone. The U-lock securing the bikes to a rack on the back of their car, parked on Young Street just off Portage, had been cut off.
“We were in there maybe 30, 40 minutes max,” Clark said after returning to CBC from making a police report. “My jaw dropped, and I started running towards the car, looking around. It’s disappointing.”
The thief, or thieves, left an old bike behind while riding off with the two stolen bikes.
“We didn’t know Winnipeg was this low. We haven’t had a single issue in any major city,” they posted on their Instagram page.
“Those bikes were given to us by the community. Mine was given to me by a veteran … so it’s definitely hard,” Duquenne said.
“We’ve been working really hard for this. It’s been non-stop since we started planning this two months ago.”
The friends, from New Brunswick, started their Men Don’t Ride Alone trek in North Sydney, N.S., on June 22, with the goal of reaching Victoria in September. They’ve raised $6,500 so far for Movember Canada, with a goal of raising $250,000.
Duquenne and Clark have made police reports and posted about the incident on their social media pages, hoping the bikes are found.
Otherwise, they’re going to have to start raising money for new ones.
“They were expensive bikes, probably [worth] $15,000 together. So it’s definitely a big hit to take,” Duquenne said.
Cross-country rides halted by thefts
Over the past decade, at least five cyclists crossing the country have had their rides cut short in Winnipeg due to their bikes being stolen.
“Unfortunately bike theft continues to be a property crime of opportunity that challenges our community and law enforcement,” Winnipeg police said in an email statement to CBC News, urging people to use Project 529 to register bikes.
Duquenne’s bike is a Trek SL 5 with a blue and black frame, and the brand name in white along the down tube.
Clark’s bike is a Cannondale Synapse, all black, with “Cannondale” in white lettering on the top frame.
Anyone with information is asked to call the property crime unit 204-986-2426. Anonymous tips can be called in to 204-786-8477 or submitted online.
Duquenne’s bike is seen at top, with Clark’s at bottom. (mendontridealone/Instagram)
The impetus behind the ride was Duquenne’s struggles with mental health and substance abuse, which led to him admitting himself to hospital in Moncton, N.B., last September.
“When I got out and I got help, I wanted to make a difference in the world and I thought of this way, and Thomas was right along with me the whole time,” he said during Friday morning’s interview with CBC Manitoba’s Information Radio.
“It was really good to get help. And that’s the big point of our mission, is to let people know that they can seek help and that life does get better at the end of the day.”
The men have been taking turns doing the ride. While one pedals, the other follows along in a car.
The car is clearly marked with the cause the men are promoting, which makes Friday’s theft that much more sad, said Clark.
“Whoever did take them … just didn’t care.”
Other than Friday’s disheartening incident, the experience has been rewarding, Clark said.
“I’s been an incredible journey so far. It really has. It’s really cool being able to see the country at about 20 km/h. We’ve seen a lot of cool things and met a lot of cool people.”
Thomas Clark, left, and Val Duquenne say they will finish their journey one way or another. (Fernand Detillieux/Radio-Canada)
He was diagnosed with ADHD when he was a young boy, and says there are a lot of mental struggles that come with having a condition that makes it hard to pay attention and sit still.
“So when [Duquenne] came to me with this [idea], I thought, hey, this connects right with what I believe in,” Clark said.
Along with rides, rests and interviews, the men have also been documenting the journey on social media.
“[It’s] only us two doing everything. So it’s been really hard to keep up with,” said Duquenne.
The men say some donations have already come in since they posted about the incident on social media, and they plan to visit bike shops in Winnipeg to see what they might be able to afford.
One way or another, they plan to complete their journey.
“If we have to run it, we’ll run it. We’re making it happen,” Duquenne said.
“We will finish this and keep the cause going, for sure,” added Clark.