Tour de France trophy stolen after being left unattended

In this Sunday July 29, 2018 file picture, Tour de France winner Britain's Geraint Thomas, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, celebrates on the podium with Netherlands' Tom Dumoulin, left, who placed second, and Britain's Chris Froome, right, who placed third, on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France. The team said in a statement on Wednesday that police is investigating the case after the trophy disappeared during an event organized in Birmingham, where Team Sky displayed the three Grands Tours trophies won by its riders. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)

PARIS -- Team Sky says the Tour de France trophy won by Geraint Thomas has been stolen from a cycling show in Britain.

The team says police are investigating after the trophy disappeared during an event in Birmingham, where Team Sky displayed the three Grand Tour trophies won by its riders.

In addition to this year's Tour de France and Giro d'Italia, a rider for Sky also claimed the 2017 Spanish Vuelta title.

Sky says "regrettably, during the clear-up operation at the end of the event, Geraint Thomas's Tour de France trophy was momentarily left unattended and stolen."

Thomas, who won his first Grand Tour title this year, asked the thieves to return the trophy.

Thomas says "it is incredibly unfortunate that this has happened. It goes without saying that the trophy is of pretty limited value to whoever took it, but means a lot to me and to the team. Hopefully whoever took it will have the good grace to return it."