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Johannesburg - South African cycling legend, Malcolm Lange, is hanging up his bicycle. Well, at least for one morning when he takes part in the annual City2City Marathon on Sunday.
Lange will be lining up for the 10km road race, one of the three legs of the prestigious Gauteng race.
Lange is now a pro-cycling team owner and has racked up over 400 major race victories in his 17-year career.
Truly one of South Africa’s all-time cycling greats, the last place you’d expect to find him is jostling for position with a pack of road runners.
So what’s up? Is his bicycle in for repairs?
“I’ve actually had my arm twisted!” he says. “Bonitas Medical Fund, which sponsors the City2City Marathon, is also the sponsor of my pro-cycling team, Team Bonitas. They’ve been a great sponsor, so I’m doing it for them,” Lange said in a statement.
A former winner of the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour and the Pick n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge, Lange would normally make short shrift of ten kilometers.
“I can do that distance in around 12 minutes on my bike, but I think it’ll take me a little longer to run. The last time I ran was probably in high school. On Sunday there’ll be no free-wheeling!,” he joked.
Only nine athletes in South Africa have ever been able to break the 28-minute barrier for 10km. The current national record was set in 1999 by Hendrick Ramaala, who tore through the distance in a mere 27:29.94.
However, Lange has not set his sights on Ramaala’s lofty heights .
“I’ll be happy just to finish. I have an incentive – I must be back by lunch-time to watch Team Bonitas riding the 100km Zoo Lake Criterium that afternoon.”
Lange will be lining up for the 10km road race, one of the three legs of the prestigious Gauteng race.
Lange is now a pro-cycling team owner and has racked up over 400 major race victories in his 17-year career.
Truly one of South Africa’s all-time cycling greats, the last place you’d expect to find him is jostling for position with a pack of road runners.
So what’s up? Is his bicycle in for repairs?
“I’ve actually had my arm twisted!” he says. “Bonitas Medical Fund, which sponsors the City2City Marathon, is also the sponsor of my pro-cycling team, Team Bonitas. They’ve been a great sponsor, so I’m doing it for them,” Lange said in a statement.
A former winner of the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour and the Pick n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge, Lange would normally make short shrift of ten kilometers.
“I can do that distance in around 12 minutes on my bike, but I think it’ll take me a little longer to run. The last time I ran was probably in high school. On Sunday there’ll be no free-wheeling!,” he joked.
Only nine athletes in South Africa have ever been able to break the 28-minute barrier for 10km. The current national record was set in 1999 by Hendrick Ramaala, who tore through the distance in a mere 27:29.94.
However, Lange has not set his sights on Ramaala’s lofty heights .
“I’ll be happy just to finish. I have an incentive – I must be back by lunch-time to watch Team Bonitas riding the 100km Zoo Lake Criterium that afternoon.”
