Namibia’s 2024 Olympics campaign got off to a disappointing start when Alex Miller crashed out of the men’s cross-country MTB race in Paris yesterday.
Miller started off quite well and was lying 24th midway through the first lap before dropping back to 29th at the end of the first lap.
On the second lap Miller picked up a puncture on his front wheel and although he managed to have it repaired and get back into the race, it didn’t last long.
Miller’s coach Hans du Toit soon confirmed on the Namibian cycling WhatsApp group that Miller crashed out by the third lap. In the process he injured his hand and could not continue as he was not able to hold his handlebar. Du Toit later said that Miller had fractured his hand.
It was an unfortunate conclusion for Miller who earlier this year won a silver medal at the Africa Continental MTB Championships in Casablanca, Morocco, when he finished behind South Africa’s Alan Hatherly, and ahead of another South African, Luke Moir.
It was the 23-year-old Miller’s second appearance at the Olympic Games after he finished 31st on his debut at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Tim Pidcock of Great Britain, meanwhile, gave a great performance to win the gold medal yesterday after he picked up a flat tyre early in the race. Pidcock was leading the race when he punctured his front tyre on the third lap and dropped down to seventh position, but after a quick pitstop he made a great recovery.
France’s Victor Koretzky took the lead by the halfway stage, after four of the eight laps, with Hatherly going second and Mathias Flueckiger of Switzerland third, but Pidcock worked his way up the field and by the end of the sixth lap overtook Hatherly to go second behind Koretzky.
In a dramatic final lap, Pidcock and Koretzka traded places in front, before Pidcock regained the lead with a risky manouvre as they touched wheels, before pulling away to win the gold medal in one hour 26 minutes 22 seconds.
Koretzky claimed the silver medal after coming second, nine seconds behind, while Hatherly won bronze after finishing a further two seconds behind.
It was Pidcock’s second Olympic gold medal after he also won in Tokyo in 2021.
Miller’s fellow cyclist Vera Looser will be next in action for Namibia when she competes in the women’s road race on 4 August.
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