Hesron Kapanga 

Mauritian rider Lucie Eva de Marigny Lagesse was crowned winner of stage two of the Tour de Windhoek on Friday after outclassing her opponents in the sprint finish at Teufelsschlucht.

Stage two in the women’s elite race covered an 83-kilometre route on the A1 road between Windhoek and Okahandja, with the women’s peloton consisting of over 50 female riders from countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Mauritius and Namibia.

The challenge was primarily between the Kenyan riders and the Mauritians, who showed dominance in the opening stage on Thursday and earned the yellow, polka dot and green jerseys.

Team Mauritius Women Team rider De Marigny Lagesse, who finished fifth in Thursday’s time trial, outperformed Ethiopian rider Merhawit Asgondom, competing for Kenyan-based Team Amani, in a photo finish on Friday to secure the stage win. 

Asgondom kept the yellow jersey she earned on the opening day of the tour.

In an interview with the media after the race, De Marigny Lagesse expressed excitement at winning stage two and credited her teammates.

“We had a tough ride today, as we started the race when it was cold. Later on, it became a bit warm, and the race was more technical, as my team worked hard for me. Without their hard work, we would not have been here,” she said.

De Marigny Lagesse stated that Namibia’s roads are some of the best she has ridden on as a cyclist.

“Riding here today was peaceful compared to some of the roads we have competed on across the continent. Today, I enjoyed myself on the bike. We are looking forward to the remaining races of the competition,” she added.

Namibia’s premier international cycling event, Tour de Windhoek, took place in Windhoek.

 Riders from across the continent competed in a five-stage race that started on Thursday and concluded yesterday.

Nampa