Mountain biker Ronny (51) dies after heat stroke in South Africa (Kalmthout)
Mountain biker Ronny Raeymakers from Essen died due to a heat stroke during the Cape Epic in South Africa. – © RR
Ronny Raeymakers (51) from Essen died on Monday in Paarl (South Africa) after his participation in the multi-day mountain bike competition Cape Epic. Ronny formed a duo with Ben Elst from Kalmthout. During the third stage on Wednesday, March 19, he received a heat stroke. In the hospital he died of the consequences.
The Cape Epic has been around since 2004 and is known as a very heavy mountain bike competition. The concept of the competition is unique because the participants drive in duos for eight days and you must always cross the finish line together. Ronny participated in the Cape Epic for the third time.
He formed a duo with Ben ‘den Beer van Nieuwmoer’ Elst, who was in the news, among other things, with his record attempt to drive the ‘fastest 1,000 kilometers ever’. Together they drove along in the ‘Grand Masters’ category, men of plus 50 years. This year, former Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet was also at the start.
Temperature up to 50 °
Ronny and Ben started well prepared, but in the third stage on Wednesday things went wrong. The temperatures increased to 50 degrees. Ronny was hit by a heat stroke. After a difficult medical intervention, he was taken to the hospital in Paarl, near Cape Town. The competition was stopped that day. Ronny fought for his life, but died on Monday morning from the effects of the heat stroke in the presence of his family.
Ronny leaves a woman and two plus daughters. He was an independent carpenter and in Essen and the surrounding area also known as an avid cyclist. He already participated in the Crocodile Trophy in Australia and in the Cape Epic in South Africa.
:format(webp)/s3/static.nrc.nl/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/18221607/data131056432-313125.jpg "Disagreement in coalition on defense spending: 700 million was released in the spring memorandum, but many billions are needed")
