A leading cyclist in the world's largest two-person mountain bike stage race has died in South Africa, the Cape Argus newspaper reported Tuesday.
Top international mountain bike rider James Williamson, 26, died in Ceres Private Hospital at 6:47 a.m. on Tuesday after his teammate Shaun Lewis, 28, found he could not wake him.
Williamson, editor of the Australian Enduro mountain bike magazine and the 2008 World Solo 24hr Champion, showed no sign of illness during the Absa Cape Epic, an 449-miles eight-day race that started on Sunday.
He and Lewis had been in 18th position and race director Kevin Vermaak said Williamson had been among the best in the 1,200-strong field.
"He and his partner ate well last night and everyone who spent the afternoon and evening with him said that he was perfectly fine," Vermaak told the Cape Argus.
The pair were due to start the race's third stage in the western cape province of Ceres and head up towards the Koue Bokkeveld mountain range.
Lewis phoned for help after he could not wake Williamson at 5.10 a.m, Vermaak said.
Race doctor Basil Bonner of Medi-Clinic attended within four minutes of receiving an emergency call but CPR was already been performed by a bystander.
"The medical staff conducted CPR for one and a half hours — one hour on site and for 30 minutes in the ambulance and in Ceres Private Hospital where the patient was taken," Vermaak said.
The Absa Cape Epic is an annual mountain bike race where each team consists of two riders. It is now in its seventh year.
