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Rio film team robbed at cycling test event

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A team employed by the city of Rio de Janeiro to film a road cycling test event for next year's Olympic Games were robbed at gunpoint, according to Brazilian news reports on Sunday. Two armed men on a motorbike approached the group of five and robbed them of camera equipment and a mobile phone, the Globo news network said. The team were setting up to film 100 cyclists from 20 countries as they went past during the 164.9 km road race. The Casa Digital agency told Reuters they were not authorised to give details about the incident, but such armed robberies are not uncommon in Rio. Last year, the number of robberies in the city rose 25 percent, the biggest jump since records began in 1991, according to official figures. Officials say more than 85,000 law enforcement personnel will be on duty during next year's Olympic Games, the first to be held in South America. (Reporting by Andrew Downie; Editing by Peter Rutherford)