An opportunistic thief in Invercargill learned the hard way that stealing a bike from a group of elite cyclists is a losing race.

Cambridge former professional cyclist Zakk Patterson was in the city for the ILT Criterium National Championships.

Patterson has achieved multiple successes throughout his cycling career, including multiple Queensland State Championships, two track state records, and seven National Championships on the road and track.

After a day of intense racing on Saturday, Patterson and two professional cyclists were enjoying dinner outside Mevlana Kebabs on Tay St when the thief struck, grabbing Patterson’s $15,000 road bike and pedalling away.

The group acted immediately, launching a dramatic chase while still finishing their meals.

“Literally, as soon as he saw him grab it, we just jumped out of our chairs and sprinted outside, and the other two jumped on their bikes and started taking off after him,” he said.

The two cyclists have both been recognised internationally, with one a veteran of the Tour de France – making the thief’s escape attempt short-lived.

“They caught him pretty quickly – we’ve got a couple of ex-professionals and one still professional chasing after him, so he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.”

The thief was intercepted about three blocks away.

The two riders threw him off the bike while Patterson followed on foot. A passing motorist stopped to assist and called the police.

“Luckily, the police were literally 20 seconds down the road because by the time I got there a minute or two later, there’s three cop cars already there and they had him in handcuffs.”

“I think [the thief] was pretty remorseful when he was on the ground,” he said.

The stolen bike sustained minor damage to its spokes and some cosmetic wear but was otherwise intact, and Patterson was still able to compete the following day in the finals.

“He was actually going pretty bloody fast, to be honest,” Patterson said, noting the thief reached a top speed of 40km/h.

“I think I was pretty lucky I had those two guys with me.”

A 31-year-old local man was to appear in the Invercargill District Court today, charged with theft, police said.