Drikus Coetzee and Nina Holtrup won the solo men and women’s races of the Nedbank Desert Dash on Saturday morning.
Coetzee covered the 401km race from Windhoek to Swakopmund in 14:13:32 to finish more than an hour and a half ahead of Jaques Hanekom and Martin Freyer who came in together in second and third places respectively.
European champion Andreas Seewald of Germany seemed to be on course to win the title, but he had to withdraw after his rear wheel got irreparably damaged in an accident with about 80km to go.
It was the second time that Coetzee had won the title after his first victory in 2022.
Nine Holtrup won the solo women’s race for the first time after finishing second two years ago. Holtrop finished more than eight miunutes ahead of Anri Greeff, while Yolande de Villiers of South Africa, who won the event in 2022, came third.
Solo men
1 Drikus Coetzee 14:13:32
2 Jaques Hanekom 15:47:43
3 Martin Freyer 15:47:45
Solo women
1 Nina Holtrup 17:00:04
2 Anri Greeff 17:08:22
3 Yolande de Villiers 17:33:11
Two-man category
1 Danzel de Koe & Andre Vermeulen (Hollard Life)
2 Alan Gordon & Allan Britnell (Insect Science Sterk Span)
Four-man category
1 Cymot Racing Men 12:56:27.
2 Hollard Men Elite 12:58:35
3 Mannie’s Bike Mecca 13:01:08
Four-person mixed
1 Mannie’s Bike Mecca Mixed 15:22:53
2 Hollard Mixed 15:24:06
3 Megatech Mixed Team 16:03:34
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