Image copyright Wayne Lawson
Cyclist Mark Cavendish and his family have been “extremely distressed” after armed men attempted to break into their home in Cheshire.
Police said there were no injuries but a serious pursuit was then launched into Manchester city centre.
The 29-year-old is a double Olympic track cycling gold medallist, while his wife is a motivational speaker.
Cavendish has since withdrawn from racing in the Tour of California while detectives are investigating.
He told the Times: “My wife is 100% not available to host, I’m not coming back this year to France, cycling is not the priority.
“The people involved should know that I won’t hesitate to go after them.”
The incident happened at around 17:00 BST on Monday at the family home in Cheshire and Cavendish’s wife, Peta Todd, and their two children, twins Elliot and Renee, were present during the incident.
Police said that a woman found a flat “in a potentially threatening condition”.
Two men ran from the property after the discovery, shortly before 2200 BST.
Images taken on CCTV and released by police show the alleged break-in.
Their description includes males, aged between 20 and 30, and wearing dark clothing.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “The offenders then managed to escape the location following a short foot pursuit.
“The incident remains under investigation.”
Cavendish, who has won 50 world track cycling titles, was inducted into the cycling hall of fame in March.
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