HYDERABAD, April 23 A foreign tourist and cyclist, Koen Roovers, here on Friday lost his bicycle, which he was using for travelling from Netherlands to China.

A case had been lodged with Market police as the bicycle was stolen from outside the outpatient department of the Civil Hospital.

“I am shocked. The cycle is too expensive. Its worth Rs200,000 in Pakistan currency. I started my journey on July 21, 2009 from Holland and had travelled eight countries on the bicycle. Pakistan is the ninth country where I reached on April 1”, Roovers, 29, told Dawn.

He said that he would see whether the bicycle is recovered otherwise he would have to purchase a new one. “I will first go to the north of the country before moving towards the final destination”, he said.

He is staying at a friend's residence in Civil Lines. The tourist had gone to OPD along with a girl, who needed physiotherapy. “I had been visiting hospital for a couple of days for her physiotherapy”, he said.

He was staying in Hyderabad as he got three months visa of Pakistan. He was to leave for Islamabad from where he would go to Gilgit. “I was to enter China through Karakoram Highway”, he said.

He was quite upset over the incident which may jeopardise continuation of his journey.

SHO Wahid Bux said that perhaps a drug addict has stolen it. “God willing we will recover it”, he said.