Nedbank XC1 UCI C1 and UCI Junior Series XCO.

Windhoek, April 12-The 2021 Nedbank XC1 UCI C1 and UCI Junior Series XCO race took place on 10 April at the IJG Trails in Kleine Kuppe.
With categories ranging from under 12 to elite, cyclists battled it out on the rocky uneven terrain for top honors. The second round of the XC cycling series in collaboration with the Rock & Rut Mountain Bike Club, was a national race which gave competitors the chance to test their technical skills against fellow riders on laid out single and jeep tracks.

The races saw Namibian and international cyclists compete to garner Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) points for boosting their world rankings which are key determinants for cyclists to compete in international events like the Olympics.

Namibia’s Tristan de Lange shattered the Elite Men’s category in a time of 1:28:35 followed by South African National, Daniel van der Walt in a time of 01:29:36. In the Elite Women’s race, Gabriela Raith finished in an impressive time of 01:29:12; Kai von During and Monique Du Plessis won the Junior Men and Women’s categories respectively.

During the prize giving ceremony, NCF President, Axel Theissen, thanked all the sponsors for making the event a success and for making sure Covid-19 protocols were adhered to.
The Namibian Cycling Federation, which is the national umbrella organization representing national championships across different cycling disciplines, made sure Covid-19 protocols were adhered to throughout the event. The races had staggered starts so participants do not exceed the Covid regulated number of 100 participants in a group.
The top ten winners in each major category received prize money to the combined total of N$50 000.
The next XC race in the series will take place on 24 April at the IJG Trails. Interested cyclists can register for the races by visiting www.rockandrut.org

Photo caption: NCF President, Axel Theissen, Tristan de Lange, Gabriela Raith, Nedbank Namibia Head of Marketing and Communication, Gernot de Klerk, Monique Du Plessis and Kai von During.

Robert Maseka
mrobert@namibiadailynews.info