First Khomas100 passes the test with flying colours

The world-class credentials of elite winners Alex Miller and Vera Looser shone through as they won the inaugural Khomas 100 gravel bike national championship, sponsored by Hollard.

A tough route of 143 kilometres for the main event took riders from the Tony Rust race track west of Windhoek, through some tough climbs up to Matchless and through flowing hills and mountains of the Khomas Hochland, before turning right onto the D1972 gravel road for the final stretch to finish at NWR’s Gross Barmen Resort.

A total of 107 men and 29 women started off for the full distance, of which 87 men and 26 women reached the finishing line despite the day’s temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.

Alex Miller, Namibia’s two-time Olympian cross-country mountain biker currently contracted by Toyota Specialized, showed why he was considered the favourite, especially after winning South Africa’s Prince George 100-Miler gravel race in the southern Cape just seven days earlier.

In similar fashion, the relentless ultra-specialist Drikus Coetzee could always be relied on for a challenge until the end, taking second place less than four minutes behind Miller.

Martin Freyer had particularly bad luck with various technical mishaps during the race, having to settle for 28th position after he had been the last one to stick to Miller on his winning breakaway after just 40 km, when Freyer got his first puncture.

Coetzee, also lost valuable time at a vital stage, said: “I did what I wanted to do; I rode my own pace. I knew it was going to be a challenge against Alex. I lost a wheel on one of the downhills and he went. From three on I then just consolidated the second position, so I’m very happy with the race.

“Well done to Alex, I reckon he’ll be a very good representative of Namibia’s national jersey on the gravel bike, so I’m happy for him to take the jersey.”

At the finish line, Miller said: “It was hard. It was hot. I think the course was good. It was rough, but that is what gravel biking is all about. So, thank you for organising this event and I’m happy to be the first winner.”

Completing the podium, 21-year-old Jaques Hanekom followed up on a recent third place behind Theuns van der Westhuizen (1st) and Freyer in the Paratus Namibian Cycle Classic road cycle race to announce his arrival among the serious contenders.

“I wasn’t expecting third ... let’s start there. I was hoping to be on the podium, but it was more like a dream.

“It was tough. As one of the heavier guys, there was a lot of climbing. A lot of fast and sometimes sketchy downhills too, which made the race a lot of fun. The guys at the front went really hard from the start and the pace stayed like that until the end,” said Hanekom, who only took up the sport at 18 years old.



CLOSE FINISH IN WOMEN’S RACE

Vera Looser has been in the form of her life winning this year’s UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Cup series. The only question was going to be how she would adapt to the Namibian heat after travelling from being based in Europe.

The challenge of Melissa Hinz faded unexpectedly early in the race, but Anri Greeff stuck to the group of men’s riders Looser was moving with. In the sprint finish, Looser got the win by milli-seconds, a margin of about a bike’s length.

Greeff, who took the N$5 000 for queen of the mountain, said: “The race went to plan. It was nice to ride with some strong riders to help hide against the wind a bit. It was tough and hot, but a well-organised event and I’ll definitely be back.”

Looser said: “I arrived from Switzerland two days ago, coming from cold weather, so the heat was quite a shock to the system. Anri rode really strongly and would have definitely deserved the win, but unfortunately for her I’m a

“The Khomas100 is a really beautiful course, but really hard. Hats off to every rider that completes this 140 km today. The heat, the altitude and the climbing is a lot harder than it shows on the profile.”



SUMMARISED RESULTS



143 km men

1 Alex Miller (4:33:44)

2 Drikus Coetzee (4:37:11)

3 Jaques Hanekom (4:55:17)

4 Gareth Jooste (RSA, 4:55:27)

5 Brandon Plaatjes (4:56:12)

6 Ingram Cuff (5:04:16)

7 Kevin Lowe (5:18:50)

8 Simon Kaita (5:22:16 8

9 Maruen Kleopas (5:22:21)

10 FC Smith (5:22:41)

First sub-veteran: Gerhard Breed (5:26:13).

First veteran: Murray Koch (RSA, 5:28:25).

First master: Clinton Hilfiker (5:29:25).

First grandmaster: Frank Snyman (5:32:13).

First e-bike: Jan Matthys Nel (6:10:35).



143 km women

1 Vera Looser (5:22:15)

2 Anri Greeff (5:22:15)

3 Nina Holtrup (Germany, 5:32:20)

4 Melissa Hinz (5:40:13)

5 Belinda van Rhyn (5:40:39)

6 Genevieve Weber (RSA, 5:41:29, first veteran)

7 Julika Pahl (5:46:21)

8 Louise Breed (6:18:52, second veteran)

9 Nicola Fester (6:21:56)

10 Jean-Marie Mostert (6:22:51)

First sub-veteran: Marcelle Eloff (7:43:27).

First master: Monika Grossmann (8:10:54).



90 km women (51 finishers)

1 Delsia Janse van Vuuren (3:11:56)

2 Rosemarie Thiel (3:12:03)

3 Michelle Döman (3:12:57)

4 Jackie Shipena (3:20:34)

5 Monique du Plessis (3:21:42)



90 km men (73 finishers)

1 Marco Thiel (2:36:11)

2 Roger Surén (2:36:12)

3 Sean Lowe (2:36:25)

4 Christiaan van der Westhuizen (2:36:53)

5 Nathan Chase (2:37:28)



40 km girls 16 and younger: 1 Qara Volschenk (2:03:39), 2 Joadri de Beer (2:16:16).

40 km women open: 1 Marlene Reichel (2:17:58), 2 Joaline Fourie (2:42:23), 3 Hetty Nelumbu (3:05:26).

40 km e-bike women: 1 Lionie Meyer (1:35:43).

40 km boys 16 and younger: 1 Micah Chase (1:44:20).

40 km men open: 1 Dian La Cock (1:46:09), 2 Marciano Nel (1:52:33), 3 Duard Wiese (1:54:05).

40 km e-bike men: 1 Evans Namaseb (1:43:36).