Tour de Windhoek back for seventh consecutive year 

Namibia’s major international cycling event the Tour de Windhoek will take place for the seventh consecutive year in the capital from 2 to 5 May. 

At a press conference in Windhoek yesterday, the president of the Namibia Cycling Federation, Axel Theissen said that it will be about the 15th edition of the tour which has appeared on and off over the past 35 years.

The tour originally started shortly after Namibia’s independence in the early Nineties, but then died down until 2006 when it was revived and continued till 2012. After that it once again died down, but in 2017 it appeared again and has been going strong since then.

At yesterday’s launch, the deputy mayor of Windhoek Joseph Uapingene said that the event highlighted their commitment to promoting sport and a healthy lifestyle. 

“As the deputy mayor of Windhoek, I am extremely proud to host such an unforgettable road race across our beautiful capital city. The Tour de Windhoek not only showcases our passion for sport, but also highlight’s Windhoek’s commitment to promoting a healthy and active lifestyle among our residents and visitors alike,” he said. 

“Cycling holds a special place in the hearts of many, not only as a competitive sport, but also as a means of transportation and recreation. The Tour de Windhoek celebrates this universal love for cycling, bringing together athletes from all corners of our country and globe, to compete in our vibrant city streets and scenic landscapes. During recent year, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Tour de Windhoek had limited international teams participating, but this year I am told we are very hopeful to have more than five different nations participating,” he added.

Uapingene said the event will help promote tourism. 

“The tour will go a long way in promoting Windhoek and Namibia as a favoured tourist destination. I am aware that the Namibia Cycling Federation, event organisers,and sponsorsare working hard to get this event accredited on the international cycling calendar. I am hopeful that the successful staging of this year’s Tour de Windhoek will most certainly help to get the accreditation from the Union of International Cyclists (UCI) and boost its prominence in the future.”

The managing director ofthe main sponsor Pupkewitz Megabuild, Martin Schoeman said it was an honour to host the event. 

“I am very excited on behalf of the Pupkewitz family as well as Megabuild to have the honour to sponsor this event again. Our sponsorship plays a crucial role in ensuring the success of the Tour de Windhoek, which is not only a cycling race, but a celebration of athleticism, adventure and the breathtaking beauty of Namibia, which is truly a wonderful country,” he said. 

The chief administrator of the Namibia Sport Commission, Freddy Mwiya said that cycling wasone of Namibia’s priority sport codes. 

“The Namibia Cycling Federation is in good standing with the Namibia Sport Commission and it’s one of the sport codes that we have classified as a priority sport code. I would like to thank Pupkewitz for coming on board for investing their resources in the federation. The NCF provide annual financial statements to us, which means that they are in good standing, so your investment is for a good cause and we believe that we must also encourage other corporates to come on board and invest in sport.”

This year’s tour will start with a short prologue over 1,6km on 2 May, to be followed by Stage1 at Teufelsschlucht on 3 May where the men’s teams will cover 120km and the women 80km. 

Stage 2 consists of a 6km hill climb on the Kupferberg Road later on 3 May, while Stage 3 consists of a 98km road race (98km for men, 68km for women) on 4 May on the Western Bypass and the Kupferberg Road.   

Later on 4 May the Stage 4 Criterium will be held in the vicinity of Pupkewitz Megabuild in Windhoek, while Stage 5 on 5 May will consist of a road race on the Matchless Mine road over 77km for men and 57,5km for women. 

The total prize money for the event amounts to N$163 750, with the men’s competition receiving N$62 250, the women’s competition N$59 500 and the Tour de Windhoek Light, N$42 000.