Monique du Plessis and Martin Freyer were crowned elite winners in the opening race of the 2025 Nedbank Rock and Rut XC series. 

The event took place at the IJG Trails in Windhoek last Saturday. 

Freyer led from start to finish to beat Justus Beulker in second and Theuns van der Westhuizen in third in the Nedbank Rock and Rut XC0 race. 

Freyer clocked 01:18:56 to win the race after six laps, while Beulker clocked 01:22:06 in second. 

Van der Westhuizen clocked 01:28:18 in third place.

Speaking after the race, Freyer said he was happy to win, as the competition was the first cross-country race of the year. 

“I felt fantastic, having just come back from the Cape Epic in South Africa. I have had many kilometres and races on my legs. It was a bit of a challenge to adjust to this format. We were lucky that today it was sunny and dry. There were one or two puddles, but they did not affect my racing. The conditions were perfect. There were cooler temperatures because of the rain,” he said.

He added that the competition was not difficult because the elite competitors were minimal due to the road race that was scheduled for the following day.

Freyer noted that more juniors were proving their worth.

“The junior field has many youngsters who are coming up. Some of them overtook me today. They are incredibly fast. I am excited for the UCI cross-country race, scheduled for next weekend, where cyclists will be able to pick up international points. I have already seen international cyclists arrive to acclimatise,” he stated.

In the women’s competition, Du Plessis was the only woman competitor. 

She finished the race after 01:05:43 to claim pole position.

In the junior women’s category, Delsia Janse van Vuuren claimed the first position in 01:01:43, with Rosemarie Thiel coming second in 01:06:04.

Du Plessis said she is happy to win the race – even though she was the only elite racer.

“I enjoyed the race. I am excited to see the juniors racing hard and challenging us. They are very strong. I enjoyed the track. It was wet and slippery in some places. I took a tumble as well,” she said.

Du Plessis added that she will be back to compete at the nationals to defend her titles.

“We’re proud of the cyclists who showed up and gave it their all on the trails. We look forward to welcoming larger numbers as the season progresses,” said one of the organisers of Nedbank Rock and Rut XC series, Michael Hennes.

Nedbank Namibia spokesperson Selma Kaulinge commended the organisers for their consistency in organising the series.

“Their dedication and hard work continue to elevate the standard of mountain biking in the country. As we look ahead to the Nedbank Rock and Rut XC1 race, which carries UCI international points, we encourage more cyclists to take part. It’s a fantastic opportunity for Namibia to showcase not only our incredible local talent, but also our growing capacity to host events of international calibre,” she said.

Kaulinge added that they are in the final preparation stages of the Nedbank Cycle Challenge, which will take place on Sunday.