Alto hijacked?

If that wasn't bad enough, the team's truck - containing race bikes and most of their equipment - was "hijacked" by a gang in France on May 28. However, according to testimony from the kidnapped driver, Alto's former owner, Sergio Bertocchi, was one of the hijackers! It has been alleged Bertocchi was trying to recover property and equipment he hasn't been paid for. The truck was later recovered in Belgium, but not before a second Team Alto truck was stolen - allegedly by the same gang! - en route to a team warehouse in northern Italy. This time around, however, the theft was tracked by law enforcement officials and the truck was soon recovered.

The matter was still in the hands of Belgian and Italian police as this issue went to press. The disruption (along with the truck and bikes being confiscated as evidence) made the team's appearance at the Misano round on June 17 impossible, according to Team Alto's general manager, Walter Tommasi.

The uncertainty over Team Alto Evolution has left the future of riders, Josh Brookes and Karl Muggeridge, very much up in the air. Both had allegedly been told to seek new rides for the rest of the season, even before the hijacking drama unfolded.