The first event in the Nedbank Rock and Rut XC Series competition 2025 will kick off at the IJG Farm in Windhoek this coming Saturday. 

The Nedbank Rock and Rut XC Series consists of five races that will take place in various venues during the year.

One of the organisers of the races, Michael Hennes, said while it is difficult to predict the number of entrants, they anticipate getting between 100 and 120 cyclists of all ages participating in the first race of the season. 

“The registration is already open and can be done through the ChronoTrack link. For all fully paid-up Rock and Rut members, the race entry fee is included in the membership fee. Non-members will have to pay an entry fee of N$250. Late entries can be done on race day at the venue at an additional cost of N$150, he said.”

He added that there will be 12 different race categories available for both men and women.

Hennes revealed that they are anticipating Namibia’s top mountain bike cyclists to participate in the first race of the season.

“As Rock and Rut, we would like to express our gratitude to our headline sponsor Nedbank Namibia for their unwavering support of cycling as a sport over the past 30 years. 

We anticipate a successful season. Nedbank’s sponsorship has significantly contributed to the growth of mountain biking and road cycling in Namibia, providing athletes with opportunities to compete both in South Africa and abroad,” he said. 

Hennes added that these efforts culminated in Namibian participation at the recent Olympics in France for women’s road racer Vera Looser and men’s mountain bike racer Alex Miller.