Martin Freyer and Vera Adrian won the biggest prizes in Namibian cycling when they each walked away with N$30 000 at the Yambu Life Cycle Super D Enduro on Saturday.
It was the second year in a row that Freyer had won the prize, while it was Adrian’s second title in three years after her first success in 2013.
Freyer was a comfortable winner of the Ultra Men’s race, completing the three stages in a combined time of 16 minutes 46,7 seconds, with South Africa’s Martin Zietsman coming second, nearly 50 seconds behind in 17:35,1.
The third place saw a tremendous battle, with Andre Steinfurth (18:15,0) just beating Heiko Redecker (18:15,9) to the line.
Zietsman won the second prize of N$15 000 and Steinfurth the third prize of N$10 000.
In the Ultra Women’s race, Adrian was also a comfortable winner, finishing more than a minute ahead of Michelle Vorster in a time of 20:02,2.
Vorster came second in 21:12,0, while Cherie Vale followed closely in third place in 21:15. Vorster received N$15 000 and Vale N$10 000.
The Ultra Enduro is a tough course that snakes down the infamous ‘Achillies Hill’ which was named at the inaugural Yambu Life cycle race in 2013. The track comes down a steep elevation of 2 093m and consists of three stages with a total distance of about 15km. The Ultra Enduro is designed for experienced riders who can sprint down a mountain at breakneck speed.
Now in its third year, the Yambu Life Cycle Super D Enduro has become one of Namibia’s premier cycling events, while it is the most lucrative cycling race in the country with a total prize money of N$200 000.
Hosted at the picturesque Iitumba, just 3km from the main Rehoboth road, more than 200 riders competed in three different categories.
The Fun Ride over 5km was aimed at the younger riders, with the Ahrends brothers, four-year-old York and six-year-old Cuan the youngest of the lot.
Fariet Kornellison won the race in 11:39,3, followed by Owen Botha (12:00,3) and Matthew Botha (12:01,3).
The All-comers Enduro was designed for the average downhill rider, and consisted of a two-stage race with each stage spanning roughly 4,3km. The course consisted of about 40 percent single track and included many berms that snaked down an elevation of 1884m on stage one and 1913m on stage two.
Luke Munting won the men’s race in a time of 14:26,5, while Christo du Raan came second in 14:59,5 and Ruhan Gous third in 15:00,6.
Mandy Huyshamen won the Women’s All-comers Enduro in 17:08,9, while Christine Steinfurth came second (17:38,2) and Luanne van der Schyff third in 18:20,3.
The event attracted cyclists and spectators alike as there was a host of activities for the whole family including a beer tent, a kid’s park and numerous stalls, as well as the Windhoek City Market.
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