He who would turn 34 in July, will stay 33 forever... This afternoon the sad news arrived that triathlete Jan Cox suddenly deceased. A few weeks earlier he finished with a smile behind his ears and accompanied by his cousin Bart Stultiens after the Grand Raid at Berismenil. There was no clue whatsoever that this would be the last time to announce his arrival.
Jan was born on July 30th, 1984 in Leuven and would spend all his life in that region. The former busdriver shifted his career to the Vlaamse Stichting Verkeerskunde and had a passion for the tougher type of triathlon in his spare time. The 2014 Embrunman, finishing in nearly 16hrs and filled with cramps, was one of his most memorable experiences. In 2015 he came 16th in the 111 at La Roche. The last few years he became very active in the offroad races saying "no risk, no fun". This year the Inferno Triathlon in Switzerland was planned, which he had completed once in 2012.
He was not only recognizable by his bald head, but also by his ever present smile, no matter how tough the race. The TDL athlete was always up for chatting, our thoughts are with his wife Vera and his family, dad, mom, sis Clara and brothers Dries and Toon.
Original article on 3athlon.be by Hans Cleemput on 17/04/2018
Translation by @T0v3