Kenyan cyclist Sule Kangangi tragically lost his life in an accident during a road race in Vermont on Saturday.
Kangangi, 33, was competing in the Vermont Overland race on gravel when he crashed at a high rate of speed, according to the Associated Press.
“Sule is our captain, friend, brother. He is also a father, husband and son. Gaping holes are left when giant’s fall. Sule was a giant,” his cycling outfit Team AMANI posted on Instagram. “Instead of leading us at the front of the pack, he will now lead us as our guiding pole star as we press forward in the realization of his dream
The Vermont Overland is a 59-mile dirt road bike race that includes nearly 7,000 feet of climbing. Kangangi was one of roughly 900 cyclists participating in Saturday’s event.
“Vermont Overland is heartbroken by the tragic death of Suleiman ‘Sule’ Kangangi during The Overland yesterday,” Ansel Dickey, owner of Vermont Overland, said in a statement on Sunday. “He was a kind friend and an inspiring and heroic athlete to his teammates and the gravel cycling community at large. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, his friends, Team Amani, and the people of Kenya who are mourning his loss today.”
[ NBC News ]