Hugo Hahn and Monique du Plessis were crowned the 2025 Nedbank Namibian Mountain Bike XCC, XCO, and Cross-Country Championships after two days of fierce competition at the Towerbos Trails over the weekend.
The event was organised by the Namibia Cycling Federation (NCF) and proudly sponsored by Nedbank Namibia.
Hahn produced a dominant performance in the Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) to win the elite men’s title by coming home in a time of one hour, 21 minutes, and 27 seconds, followed by Martin Freyer, who clocked 01:26:55 for second place, and Theuns van der Westhuizen, 01:31:40, in third place.
However, in the Cross-Country Short Track (XCC), tables were turned as Freyer came back to exert revenge in a time of 00:22:37 in first place, ahead of Hahn, who clocked 00:22:41 in second place.
Third place was taken by Van der Westhuizen, who came home in 00:23:11 for third place.
Speaking after the race, Hahn paid tribute to the organisers by saying the course was challenging.
“This track has its technical aspect, which makes it unique and challenging. Within the features themselves, you can find many little things that can either make or break your speed. It was a good race for me with a strong start. I am very, very happy with my lap times, my race speed, and my calmness and confidence throughout the race,” Hahn said.
He added that the track has a good layout, saying the challenging track is good for Namibian riders as it makes them better riders.
In the women’s elite XCO race, Du Plessis clocked 01:22:32 to fend off Mimi Hough, who came second in a time of 01:24:0.
Du Plessis then won the elite women’s short course event with a time of 00:19:17 in the XCC event.
Also speaking after the race, Tauko Shilongo, the president of the NCF, said the event was a phenomenal success. “It was phenomenal racing. The course out here is phenomenal. The trails have undergone extensive work. The renovation is a significant investment in the trails. It is world-class,” he said.
He paid tribute to Freyer, who now serves as NCF vice president, saying having a national champion as a right-hand man is invaluable due to his significant institutional memory of cycling.
The event also celebrated champions across various age categories.
In the U/23 men’s XCC category, Bergran Jensen secured first place, with Rodger Suren winning the junior men’s XCO crown ahead of Nathan Chase in second place and Marco Thiel in third place.
For the XCO and XCC junior women, Delsia Janse van Vuuren emerged first, ahead of Rosemarie Thiel in second place in both events.
In the boys’ U/16, Mike Olivier Baartman beat Theodor Janse van Vuuren and Francois van Zyl. Nicole Suren won the girls U/16 race.
Meanwhile, NCF has expressed its ongoing commitment to nurturing talent and providing opportunities for riders of all ages.
“What we’re doing or what we’re trying to do as a federation is that we’re looking out for the girl and boy child out there. It’s the athlete’s first. We want to develop them and send them out to race in world-class events,” Shilongo said.
Meanwhile, Selma Kaulinge, the Communication and Public Relations Manager for Nedbank Namibia, said the dedication and hard work by NCF in organising an event of such magnitude takes a lot of time and effort.
“Nedbank extends its heartfelt congratulations to NCF for the outstanding success of the Mountain Bike XCC, XCO, and Cross-Country Championships at Towerbos Trails,” she said.