In a display of endurance and speed Tyler Lange (21) from Paarl stormed to victory in the Cape Town Cycle Tour on Sunday (9 March), setting a new record of 2 hours, 25 minutes and 48 seconds.
The young cyclist conquered the gruelling 109-km route, outpacing a competitive field and cementing his status as a star in South African cycling while breaking Robbie Hunter’s 17-year-old record of 2 hours, 27 minutes and 29 seconds.
Lange competed alongside his father, Malcolm Lange, a three-time champion of the race and also a well-known South African cyclist.
The father-son duo is the first to compete in the race and win.
Malcolm completed the race in 2:53.52 and won the Cape Town Cycle Tour in 1998, 2003 and 2010, beating disgraced Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong before his doping scandal broke, while young Lange cheered from the sidelines, not knowing he would one day follow in his father’s footsteps.
He and his family have called Paarl their home since 2017, when they relocated from Johannesburg.
Lange matriculated from Bridge House School in 2022 and has since set his sights on a professional road-cycling career on an international level.
In a telephonic interview with Paarl Post the young man said his recipe for success was “not to overthink it” and “stay calm” during races.
He stated that despite entering the race, aware of his chances of winning, the first 20-30 km was the most “stressful”, working as he did to find a comfortable pace and secure his position amid fierce competition.
“Most people think the last few climbs around Chapman’s Peak and Suikerbossie are the most challenging, but not for me.”
“Most people think the last few climbs around Chapman’s Peak and Suikerbossie are the most challenging, but not for me. Settling in during the first few kilometres was the hardest because everybody was fighting for a spot in front.”
Favourable weather conditions, with minimal wind and cooler temperatures, enabled Lange to maintain an average speed of approximately 45 kilometres per hour.
Approaching the final kilometre of the race, he was part of the second group. But when a chance came to close the gap between himself and the front runners Lange seized it and surged ahead, finally outpacing the 2012 champion Reinhardt Janse van Rensburg, to claim his first title and the fourth win for his family.
Competing in cycling races since high school, he raced at continental level as part of the EF Education Nippo Development team in Spain in 2023. The team has since disbanded due to lack of sponsorship.
Undeterred, Lange continued racing after his return to South Africa, participating in events weekly during the summer months. Most recently, he won both the first and last stages of the Tour du Cap, held from 3 to 7 March in Wellington.
Currently, the young cyclist aspires to compete internationally at World Tour level, aiming for prestigious races like the Tour de France.
However, before this dream can become a reality, Tyler must secure a place on an international cycling team — a goal that could materialise this year if all goes to plan, he said.
Tyler credited his father for nurturing his passion for cycling and guiding him to become a better athlete.
“Most children grow up with parents working from 08:00 to 18:00, but I grew up watching my dad getting up very early to cycle.”
“Most children grow up with parents working from 08:00 to 18:00, but I grew up watching my dad getting up very early to cycle,” he said proudly, acknowledging his father’s key influence in his success.
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