Ironman steps in to get bikes from TriBike Transport; Shipper holds 180 other bikes from Pontevedra worlds waiting for payment

TriBike Transport (TBT), the company that takes on the task of getting athletes’ bikes to various events around the world, appears to be in the midst of a financial crisis. A lawsuit has been filed against the company by a New Jersey based cargo company that says it is owed US$319,731.27 and “has exercised its lien rights and is currently in possession of these 180 bikes” belonging to USA Triathlon athletes who competed at the World Triathlon Championships in Pontevedra, Spain.

According to a source at Ironman, after learning that athletes had not received bikes from five different Ironman events, and with bikes on the way to races in Cozumel and Arizona, Ironman has stepped in to ensure the safe delivery of the bikes. We’ve also learned that a “senior level” member of Ironman’s operations team is in Asheville, North Carolina at TriBike Transport’s headquarters, working to ensure that athletes will receive their bikes from the other events, and that the bikes will be delivered to the races in Mexico and Arizona, then returned afterwards. The source also confirmed this would be at Ironman’s expense.

We’ve reached out to TBT founder and one of the owners, Marc Lauzon, for comment, but have not heard back. Lauzon told Triathlete Magazine  that TriBike had “tried to negotiate with the shipper to have the bikes released, but were unsuccessful,” and also confirmed that “the bikes going to and from Ironman Cozumel and Ironman Arizona would be covered with the help of Ironman.”

Auction?

While Ironman has stepped in to take care of its athletes who have been affected, the USA Triathlon athletes whose bikes have been seized are in a different boat.

In the lawsuit, Intelligent SCM, LLC (doing business as Horizon Entertainment Cargo) claims that it is owed the money from 13 shipments from July to October of this year. The company also maintains that it has the right to sell the 180 bikes it has under lien “at public or private sale or auction” unless the TriBike “posts cash or letter of credit at sight, or, if the amount due is in dispute, an acceptable bond equal to 110% of the value of the total amount due.”

It isn’t clear that Horizon Entertainment Cargo intends to follow through on that, but there are reports that the company has moved the bikes through a series of different states (it’s believed the bikes are currently in Chicago) to avoid having to fulfill a restraining order filed in North Carolina by TBT on the bikes.

The TriBike Transport webpage lists no events for 2024, but there are a number of races still listed for 2023, including the two Ironman races this weekend along with the 70.3 races in Indian Wells and Florida. According to our Ironman source bikes have not been collected for those two events and Ironman isn’t planning on continuing to back up the service for TBT.

Another event listed on the site is Clash Daytona, which will serve as the USA Triathlon Long Course National Championship this year. We’ve been in touch with the Daytona race organizers, who are waiting to hear from TBT on the status for that race.

We’ll update this story with more information as it becomes available.