Triathlete India Lee finds bike 'crushed' after EasyJet flight

India Lee said her bike must have been exposed to "extreme force"

A professional triathlete has described finding her £10,000 bike "crushed" while unpacking her luggage after an EasyJet flight to Spain.

India Lee, who has competed for Great Britain at events around the world, discovered the damage shortly after arriving in Alicante on Tuesday.

Ms Lee, from Winchester, told the BBC she relied on the bike for her livelihood.

EasyJet apologised and said it was "urgently investigating".

Ms Lee during the Ironman Weymouth 70.3 in September 2019

Ms Lee flew from Bristol to the Spanish resort for a three-week training programme, ahead of the new season.

"I unzipped the bag and just stood there staring at it with my hands on my knees," she said.

"The more I looked at it, the more I saw how bad it was."

She said the thru-axel - the thick bit of metal that holds the wheel on - appeared to have been "sheared in half", while other parts were also shattered.

Ms Lee said the bike must have been exposed to "extreme force" as she had "meticulously padded" the bag it was contained in.

She said her insurance company and EasyJet had both been supportive, and is hopeful she will be able to collect a replacement bike in the UK soon.

An EasyJet spokesperson said: "We are very sorry for the damage caused to Ms Lee's bicycle during transit.

"We know how crucial it is for customers to feel confident that items like this will be well cared for when travelling with us, and so we are urgently investigating this with our ground handling partners in Bristol and Alicante.

"We have been in touch with Ms Lee to apologise and offer our assistance with the cost of the bicycle repairs."