And just days after his triumphant return, Anthony Kappes had one of the vital training bikes recovered by Greater Manchester Police.

Anthony said: "Having my road bike back is the icing on the cake. Now I'm somewhere between extremely happy and extremely tired."

The 34-year-old from Chapel-en-le-Frith said he had been concerned that the theft, two weeks before the World Championships began, might distract him during the competition.

The tandem bikes were stolen at 6.45am on August 1 after thieves broke into the garage of his Brookside Road home.

He said: "Now I am hopeful the mountain bike will be returned too. I appeal to anyone who might have seen it to contact the police."

Anthony took up cycling professionally two years ago after his eyesight deteriorated because of a rare condition called retinitus pigmentosa.

He rides with his fully-sighted pilot, Barney Storey, and as a team they won a gold medal in the 2005 World Championships – their debut competition for the GB team. They also hold the paralympic world record for men's tandem cycling.

Anthony said: "Fortunately all the hard graft paid off and we managed to defend our titles from the Australians who really gave us a run for our money.

"Doing well in France was vital to the build-up for the Beijing Olympics."

• Anyone with information on the silver Canondale tandem bike should call PC Dan Hadfield on 0845 1233333 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.