Drikus Coetzee and Delsia Janse van Vuuren took top honours in the Nedbank Namibia Windhoek Power Pedal (WPP) 3, Döbra Loops event, which took place on Sunday. 

Over 170 cyclists took part in the event, which is the third round in the six-part road cycling series. 

Hollard Insurance’s Coetzee claimed top honours in the elite men’s race by coming home in a time of two hours, thirty-eight minutes, and 13 seconds (02:38:13) after eight combined laps of 120 kilometre (km), ahead of second-placed Marco Thiel of Cymot Racing Team A, who clocked 02:41:08 for second place. Third place was claimed by Theuns van der Westhuizen of Hollard Insurance in 02:41:11. Speaking after the race, Coetzee said it was a good race under good weather conditions. “We had stronger teams compared to last weekend, and the first 30 km were hard tempo. The guys tried different tactics, and that made for good racing. After 30 km, I saw an opportunity, and I took it. I got a gap, and I knew I just had to hold it. I knew my capabilities in the remaining 80 km. Overall, it was a very good start to the series following last week’s success,” he said.

He added that this was a  good preparation for an international 1 000 km ultra-endurance race in Rwanda which he will be taking part in February.  Coetzee said he is looking forward to the nationals in Namibia and to other local races.

In the women’s category, Janse van Vuuren clocked 02:35:21, ahead of Rosemarie Thiel (105km – 7 loops), who finished the race in 02:35:22 in second place, and Belinda van Rhyn, who was third in 02:35:22 after seven laps. Meanwhile, Van Vuuren said Sunday’s race was not that hard, as it allowed her to do things differently. “I decided to go hard from the start, and at one point, I thought I would not make it. I broke away from the first lap and kept my pace, even though the chasing pack caught me. There were a few breakaways, but I just kept going until the end to claim victory,” she said.

Van Vuuren said she uses the WPP races as training for regional and international competitions. She added that she will race as much as she can locally and internationally, with her eyes set on the South African Cup scheduled for the end of February, while also looking forward to some races in Europe, including the world championships.

The series coordinator, Stephanus Feris, said riders will get points for general classifications (GC points). These points will then be tallied at the end of the season to determine the overall winners of the season.

This year, the organisers have changed the structure of teams in the men’s category. “Compared to last year, the men’s teams can have four members, but three start. One team can have one member, two members, or three members starting a race,” he said.

 He added that there are no more female teams, meaning the ladies will compete as individuals. Feris mentioned that the first two races have shown that there is hunger for cycling, while explaining that the U/10, U/12, and U/16 categories have seen a surge in the number of participants, a sign that there are many youngsters who are coming through the ranks. Nedbank Namibia chief commercial officer, JG van Graan, paid tribute to WPP’s consistent effort to raise the profile of cycling in Namibia, saying this resonates with the bank’s dedication and passion for sports.

Van Graan added that Nedbank Namibia’s continued support of cycling in Namibia through the sponsorship of key races like the Nedbank Desert Dash, the Nedbank Cycle Challenge, and the Nedbank WPP Series provides a consistent schedule for riders, which encourages more Namibians to start cycling and live a healthy lifestyle.

“By fostering a sense of community and encouraging healthy lifestyles, Nedbank’s dedicated partnership with WPP has been instrumental in establishing cycling as one of Namibia’s fastest-growing sports, creating a legacy for the nation’s athletic landscape. As money experts who do good, our steady support has given cycling in Namibia a foundation to grow,” said van Graan.

The next WPP race will be the WPP4 at Matchless Mine on 22 March.

– lmupetami@nepc.com.na