WINDHOEK, Jan. 26 — The Nedbank Namibian National Road and Time Trial and Cycling Championship will take place in Windhoek this weekend, featuring elite athletes competing for national titles in the time trial and road race categories. The events will take place on Friday, 27 February and Sunday, 29 February, respectively.
Race Director Volker Engling stated, ‘We are honoured to once again be hosting this year’s championships and look forward to presenting a new route that will challenge our elite cyclists and attract more spectators.’`
Nedbank Namibia Communications and PR Manager, Selma Kaulinge remarked, ‘Nedbank is dedicated to supporting cycling in Namibia, and we are eager to witness our nation’s top cyclists contending for national titles at this annual event.’
The event, organised in partnership with the Namibian Cycling Federation, is an important step toward international and regional competitions, as it qualifies Namibian athletes to compete at the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) World Championships and the African Continental Championships. ‘The UCI World Championship is one of the most prestigious events in the world of cycling, drawing competitors from all over the globe to compete in various disciplines,’ said Engling.
The Namibian Nationals will include categories for Elite and U23 men to complete a distance of 40 km, and Elite and U23 women, cycling a total distance of 30 km. Additional categories, including Junior men and women, Sub Vet men and women, Vet men and women, Master men and women, Grand Master men and women, U/16 boys and girls, U/14 boys, and more, will cycle a total distance of 20 km. The youngest categories, including U/14 girls, U/12 boys, U/12 girls, U/10 boys and U/10 girls, will cycle a distance of 10 km.
Kaulinge elaborated on the growing interest in the sport, stating, ‘Cycling has grown as a sport in Namibia in recent years, with more people taking up the discipline at all levels. This is partly due to the success of Namibian cyclists on the international stage, which has inspired more people to get involved in the sport. Nedbank Namibia has been investing in the development of cycling in the country over the past three decades. With continued investment and support, we can expect to see more Namibian cyclists competing at the highest level and achieving notable results in the future.’
To date, a total of four Namibian cyclists have competed at the UCI World Championships, participating in the road race and time trial disciplines: Dan Craven, who competed in the road race in 2011 and 2013, and in the time trial in 2014, 2015, and 2017; Adriaan Louw, who contended in the road race in 2015; Rohan du Plooy, who competed in the road race in 2016 and 2017, and in the time trial in 2017; and Johann Rabie, who competed in the time trial in 2018 and 2019.
The Namibia Cycling Federation urges motorists to exercise patience and consideration during the race. Together with Nedbank Namibia, they extend their heartfelt gratitude to the Windhoek City Police for their continued and unwavering support in ensuring the safety of participating cyclists and other road users.
‘It’s worth mentioning that the country is now receiving lovely rainfalls, but if we have heavy rain on the day of the Time Trial, the route may have to be changed,’ concluded Engling.
The prizegiving for both the National Time Trials and the Road Race will take place on Sunday, January 29 at 14:00 at the Nedbank Campus.
