About 150 cyclists participated in the first edition of the Vaalgras MTB Challenge which was held about 50km outside of Windhoek on Saturday.
The Vaalgras Challenge, which forms part of the popular Gravel & Dirt MTB Series powered by Hollard Namibia, was held on Little Las Vegas Farm close to the Otjihase Mine with participants competing in various categories over 64km or 32km, or shorter routes for children.
Despite the relatively flat course, participants faced tough conditions due to strong winds and limited recovery sections, making it a challenging ride.
In the senior men’s race, Martin Freyer of Team Hollard claimed first place with a time of 2:25:42, narrowly beating teammate Ingrim Cuff in a sprint to the line, while Justus Beulker of Team Mannie’s Bike Mecca came third in 2:27:09.
Anri Greeff of Team Hollard dominated the women’s race, winning in a time of 2:53:04, with Michelle Doman of Team Mannie’s Bike Mecca coming second more than 16 minutes behind in 3:09:26, while Delsia Janse van Vuuren of Team Food Lover’s Market, who was competing in her first full marathon, earned an impressive third place in 3:16:08.
The Vaalgras event also marked the conclusion of the 2024 Gravel & Dirt Series, with Freyer and Greeff finishing on top of the overall rankings.
Freyer finished on top of the men’s rankings followed by team mate Danzel de Koe, Brandon Plaatjes of Team Mannie’s Bike Mecca, Ingrim Cuff (Team Hollard), Clinton Hilfiker (Team Hollard), Drikus Coetzee (Team Hollard) and Adrian Key (Team Hollard).
Greeff won the women’s series, followed by Nicola Fester (Team Cymot), Michelle Doman (Team Food Lover’s Market), Maike Bochert (Team Hollard), Eleanor Grassow (Team Hollard) and Anneke Steenkamp (Team Hollard).
The Vaalgras MTB Challenge earned rave reviews from participants, with the organisers anticipating that it will continue to grow in future.
“This was our first time hosting an event at Vaalgras, and we are thrilled with the response. Most cyclists really enjoyed the experience, and many have already said they would love to come back,” Johan Pretorius of Gravel & Dirt said.
“For a first-time event, having 150 participants was fantastic, and we are confident this will grow to more than 200 riders in the coming years,” he added.
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