Kenyan cyclist Sule Kangangi dies at Vermont Overland gravel race
Rider dies following high-speed crash
Photo by:
Rachel Ruto
Kenyan cyclist Sule Kangangi died on Saturday in a crash at the Vermont Overland gravel race.
“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 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 wife of president-elect William Ruto of Kenya, Rachel Ruto, posted on Twitter that she was shocked and saddened to hear the terrible news “My heartfelt condolences to his family, and the entire cycling community, that has lost a talented cyclist, a mentor and a friend,” she wrote. “We will all miss him as an individual. Kenya has lost a champion. Rest in peace Sule.”
“Vermont Overland is heartbroken by the tragic death of Suleiman “Sule” Kangangi during The Overland yesterday,” the owner of Vermont Overland, Ansel Dickey, 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.”
The Vermont Overland is a 95 km gravel race that features 2,130 m of climbing and had 900 cyclists competing.
There is a fundraising campaign to help support his wife and children on GoFundme.com.
