Namibian cyclists Drikus Coetzee and Melissa Hinz continue to demonstrate their dominance in the opening three stages of the Nedbank Gravel Burn, which is currently taking place in South Africa.

The Gravel Burn is a seven-day, 800-kilometre full-service gravel stage race that traverses some of South Africa’s most diverse landscapes. The route starts in the coastal forests and goes through the Great Karoo. Every night, riders rest in remote “Burn Camps” before concluding the race in areas home to Africa’s iconic Big Five wildlife.

Coetzee, who is competing in the open men’s category for 19 to 34-year-olds, started his campaign on Sunday with a commanding victory in Stage One and finished 25 minutes ahead of South Africa’s Verster Venter. 

In the 40 to 44 women’s category, Hinz was also impressive. She claimed the stage with a six-minute lead over South African competitor Anneke Lund.

On Monday, Stage Two saw Coetzee extend his advantage with another dominant performance, winning by 14 minutes, while Hinz increased her lead by a further eight minutes.  Stage Three on Tuesday was no different, with Coetzee once again showcasing his endurance to finish 18 minutes ahead of the chasing pack. Hinz also continued her fine form, crossing the line 21 minutes ahead of her rivals.

After three stages, Coetzee has built an overall lead of one hour, while Hinz maintains a 15-minute cushion at the top of her classification.

Meanwhile, other Namibian riders are also making their mark. Ingram Cuff, competing in the 40 to 44 men’s category, finished Stage One in third place. In Stage Two, he improved by finishing in second place but found the going tough in Stage Three, where he placed fourth.

 In the 60 to 64 age group, Frank Snyman claimed fifth place in Stage One, followed by second place in Stage Two and third place in Stage Three. He is currently ranked 113th overall.

In the elite men’s category, Namibia’s professional rider Alex Miller began the race with a 25th-place finish in Stage One and improved to 18th in Stage Two to move up the overall standings from 25th to 22nd. He maintained consistency in Stage Three, finishing 22nd again but climbing to 19th overall. 

Another, Namibian rider Martin Freyer started with a 24th-place finish in Stage One, improved to 23rd in Stage Two, and delivered his best performance in Stage Three, finishing 18th to rise to 17th overall.

The Nedbank Gravel Burn will conclude on Saturday, when the overall winners across all categories will be crowned.  

-Nampa