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Over and over: world champion Lange gives up in Hawaii

October 12, 2019, 10:35 p.m.

Kailua-Kona (dpa) Patrick Lange gives up at the Ironman World Cup. On the bike course he suddenly pulls over to the right. Over and over. He got a fever the night before the race, but still competed and got off to a great start. But then came the early end.



Patrick Lange rides his bike.

Patrick Lange writhed over his handlebars. The face full of suffering. He rolled a few more meters on the hard shoulder, then got off the bike. Nothing worked. The two-time world champion gave up prematurely at the Ironman in Hawaii.

He had developed a fever in the already short night before the race. On the morning before the start of the race, everything was fine again, reported his manager Jan Sibbersen at Hessischer Rundfunk.

But in the race, his body stopped the iron man. He suddenly felt dizzy and black. If you’ve blacked out for two or three seconds, it’s dangerous. There is no longer any option, reported Sibbersen.

Because of this, Lange left his aero position for around 70 kilometers, braked abruptly and suddenly pulled over to the right. His bike was packed up in a nearby parking lot and he got into the passenger seat of a car while the medical car was pulling away. A little later, Lange was already on the way back to the accommodation with his wife.

After his 3rd place in 2016 and his triumphs in 2017 and 2018, Lange wanted to create the World Cup hat trick. And now that. The disappointment is great, it will take a while. There is only one day when everything is important, and if it doesn’t work that day, you have to wait another 364 days, emphasized Lange’s manager.

Lange got off to a great start in the race. Surprisingly, he was able to keep up with the top when swimming over 3.86 kilometers in the Pacific Ocean with clear waves. He had landed on the two-time champion and second in swimming Jan Frodeno in just nine seconds.

On the 180.2 kilometer long bike course, things went well for a long time at first. The deficit on the stronger cyclists was limited in extremely exhausting conditions with strong winds. Then Lange got out at once. He could no longer play his running strength in the final marathon.

A series of disappointments for Lange continued this year. After his victory in a race over half the Ironman distance at the beginning of the season in Vietnam, the home race at the Ironman European Championships in Frankfurt / Main had become a serious setback due to a tire damage and stomach problems. Lange also had no chance at the semi-Ironman European Championship in Nice around a month before Hawaii. A year ago he was the first ever to win the World Cup in Kailua-Kona in under eight hours.

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