It was speed, strategy and grit on full display at the Nedbank Cycle Challenge yesterday morning as Alex Miller powered to victory in the men’s 100km race while Delsia Jan van Vuuren surged to triumph in a fiercely contested women’s event.
Miller clocked an impressive 2:23:59 to take top honours, holding off a strong chase from Martin Freyer, who finished second (2:24:37), and Christian van der Westhuizen, who secured third (2:25:57).
Reflecting on his ride, Miller described the race as fast and tactical, saying the early pace set the tone for a demanding contest.
Despite the win, Miller noted he would like to see more technically challenging routes in future, suggesting additional corners.
“The racing was really good. Sometimes just riding on the bypass can be a little bit boring. I hope to see a few more slightly more technical courses. Maybe they do not need to involve climbing, but they could use more corners. I think for me, and for the majority of Namibians who go to big races, it’s hard to go around corners. We struggle with that, and it’s probably because we just race on the bypass the whole time. So, it’s up to organisers to make it a little more interesting, and we appreciate the many organisations sponsoring these events,” he said.
“Looking at the race, my main strategy going in was that I wanted to make it hard from the beginning, which I think we did when we moved more to the front of the bunch. And then I knew I would have to go hard at Kupferberg at the end. Most Namibians do not know how to ride in the gutter. Even myself, I do not have good experience in that, but I kind of know the basics. The next race is the Cape Town Cycle Tour in March,” he added.
He added that, for me personally, the Desert Dash does not really have an effect because it’s in December and it’s not a goal.
“If I am here with my girlfriend again, we will race as a two-person mixed team, but for the majority of Namibians, it’s a really big highlight, which is good. I mean, Nedbank also puts a lot of money into it, so it’s an amazing event, but for me personally, racing overseas means it’s not really a big highlight,” he said.
In the women’s race, Van Vuuren crossed the line in 3:02:21 to claim first place. Rosemarie Thiel (3:02:21)finished close behind for second, while Belinda van Rhyn (3:02:23) completed the podium in third.
“The racing was quite negative in the beginning. No one wanted to work, which I can not really understand. But then Marie and I managed to get away and started working together. Just before Dordabis, I got a slow puncture. On the way to Kupferberg it just kept deflating and deflating. I thought, okay, my race is gone. But I told myself to just ride and see where it goes, and I still managed to take the sprint finish,” she said.
She added that, “Actually, I wanted to make a breakaway on the bridge, at the top of the Avis Bridge, but the wind was not in my favour today, especially if you wanted to make a solid breakaway. It just was not possible.
There was some drizzle in the morning, then it cleared, and it was super fun riding in the cloudy weather.”
Next up, she said she is getting on a plane on Thursday.
“On Thursday, I am getting on a plane to head to Cape Town for the First SA Cup. And then I will be there the whole week to also race a cycle tour with my team,” she said.