Somewhere on the road to the Cape of Good Hope, a group of cyclists learned an important lesson: you cannot outsprint an ostrich.
Video further below 👇
The riders were in South Africa for the Cape Town Cycle Tour (formerly the Cape Argus), one of the biggest timed cycling events in the world. Two days before the race, they headed out for a casual 80-mile leg-stretcher down the coast. Quiet roads, ocean views, empty coastal tarmac.
Then an ostrich jumped out of the bush and decided to join the ride.
How it started
The group spotted a white ostrich standing off to the left of the road. Seconds later, a second ostrich burst out from the right and locked onto the riders, chasing them down the deserted coastal road at full stride.
One of the riders admitted it was scary at first, then so funny he nearly fell off his bike laughing.
The bird held 31 mph without any visible effort. That was the ostrich cruising. Ostriches can hit around 43 mph, which is faster than most pro sprinters at full gas. Every rider in that group was going flat out while the ostrich looked like it was soft-pedaling.
Lucky the bird got bored
The chase only ended because the ostrich lost interest, and that was luckier than it sounds. The road to the Cape of Good Hope is a dead end. There was nowhere left to run.
As for a motive? The riders had a theory: he was showing off for the white ostrich watching from the other side of the road. Honestly, chasing down a group of lycra-clad cyclists at 31 mph is a pretty strong move. We hope she was impressed!
Related: Moment a Kangaroo Body-Slammed a Cyclist
Video: Ostrich chases cyclists
Next time you get dropped on a group ride, remember: at least it wasn’t by a bird.
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