Hesron Kapanga

Ultra-endurance cyclist Drikus Coetzee says he is ready to represent Namibia at the Badlands Gravel Challenge in Europe at the end of August.

The Badlands Gravel Challenge is an 800-kilometre race featuring a 16 000-metre elevation gain. The course starts in Granada, Spain, and covers diverse European terrain, including the continent’s only deserts and the Mediterranean coast.

This year’s challenge is scheduled for 31 August to 5 September.

In an interview with Nampa on Sunday, Coetzee said competing in this year’s Tour de Windhoek formed part of his preparation for the upcoming ultra-endurance challenge.

“The Tour de Windhoek was a warm-up to get the engine revving,” he said, before expressing satisfaction with his performance and crediting his team.

Coetzee, who has had notable achievements at The Munga Cycling Tour in South Africa and the Atlas Mountain Race in Morocco, said his long-term objective is to secure victories in major global ultra-races.

“What I’m aiming for now is to win the biggest ultra race in the world, so everything in between road races, every tour, everything I do is just part of the journey. The Badlands in Spain is an 800-kilometre race with around 17 000 meters of climbing, so lots of climbing. It’s one of the major ultra-gravel races in Europe, and it will be very exciting for me to podium there,” Coetzee stated.

Coetzee and Rwanda’s Xaveline Nirere were on Sunday crowned overall winners of the general classification at the 2025 Tour de Windhoek.