Khomas100 is here!

Excitement is mounting for the Khomas100 – the first ever Namibian National Gravel Championships which take place tomorrow between Windhoek and Gross Barmen.

Race organiser Anri Parker yesterday confirmed that more than 400 cyclists from Namibia and abroad have entered the race, while all of Namibia’s top riders will be in action, promising some exciting duels. 

In the elite men’s category a battle for supremacy can be expected between Alex Miller and Drikus Coetzee. 

Miller has been in great form of late, winning the Nedbank Namibia National MTB Marathon Championships at Swakopmund a fortnight ago, and then beating some of South Africa’s top riders to win the Prince George Monumental 100 Miler last weekend. 

Miller was a comfortable winner of the national champoionships over 84km, finishing more than four minutes ahead of Kevin Lowe and Martin Freyer, while he beat South Africa’s Travis Stedman by more than two minutes to win the Prince George Monumental 100 Miler.

That race covered a distance of 167km, starting at Prince Albert at the base of the Swartberg Mountain range and traversing through the Klein Karoo and the Outeniqua Mountains, while it had a total vertical ascent of 2 600m. 

Miller won in an overall time of 5 hours 28 minutes 3 seconds, followed by Stedman in 5:30:10 and South Africa’s Arno du Toit in 5:37:35.

Namibia’s ultra long distance champion Drikus Coetzee, however, is sure to provide a strong challenge. He has been one of the most successful ultra marathon riders on the African continent over the past few years and between 2022 and 2023 set an incredible record by winning three of the longest marathon races in South Africa all in record times. 

Last year he won the Big Munga over 1 137km in 47 hours 37 minutes, and in 2022 he won the 500km Munga Grit Tankwa in 22 hours 17 minutes, and the 500km Munga Grit Cradle in 21:47.

This year he also won the Munga Grit Le Dur over about 550km in 24 hours 30 minutes, while Miller just pipped him to the Nedbank Namibia National Road Race Cycling Championships over 122km in January in a sprint to the line. 

Coetzee yesterday said he was aiming for victory. 

“I’m more of an endurance rider, but I think the Khomas100 is also more of an endurance event, and will take more than five hours. Alex will be the favourite, but I believe in myself and I think I can win,” he said. 

Other podium contenders include Martin Freyer and Kevin Lowe, while some top riders from abroad have also entered, including Gareth Jooste as well as Team Tshenolo from South Africa. 

Amongst the women the competiution is expected to be just as fierce with Vera Looser ande Melissa Hinz amongst the favourites. 

Last month Looser won the UCI Cross Country Marathon World Cup series in the United States, but she will be competing on her mountain bike, which could be a drawback against the gravel bikes.

Hinz recently won a bronze medal in the individual time trial at the African Continental Championships in Kenya, while other contenders include Anri Greeff and Nina Holtrup, the elite and veteran winners of the Nedbank Namibia National MTB Marathon Championships respectively.

Another strong contender is Julika Pahl, a Namibian now based in Switzerland, who won the 30-34 year old age group at the World Xterra Championships in Trentino, Italy in September. 

The Khomas100 will be held over three distances – 143km, 84km and 43km, with the 143km riders starting at 06h00 at the Tony Rust Race Track and finishing at Gross Barman outside Okahandja, while the 84km and 43km riders will start and finish at Gross Barman. 

The event is sponsored by Hollard and sanctioned by the Namibia Cycling Federation, while the general classification is open to all riders on any types of bikes. 

The total prize sponsorship for the 143km race amounts to about N$200 000 with the male and female winners each receiving N$25 000 as well as NWR vouchers to the value of N$10 000. There will also be cash prizes for the top three in various age group categories ranging from elite to grand master riders.

There will not be prize money for the Namibian champions but they will receive national jerseys, medals and entry to the 2025 World Gravel Championships in France.