Martin Freyer and Anri Greeff both of Team Hollard, were both comfortable winners of the elite men and women’s categories at the Friedenau Gravel Challenge on Saturday.
The race which took placeon Farm Friendenau, about 45km outside Windhoek on the Khomas Hochland, formed part of the Hollard Gravel and Dirt series and saw a record turnout of 280 riders, a significant increase on the 200-odd entrants from last year.
In the Elite men’s full marathon over 65,6km, Freyer was a comfortable winner in two hours 24 minutes 22 seconds, with the sub veteran rider Christiaan Janse van Rensburg coming second more than three minutes behind in 2:27:53, and the junior rider Sean Lowe third in 2:30:01.
They were followed by Drikus Coetzee (2:30:18), Adrian Key (2:31:57), Marco Thiel (2:35:51) and Jaques Hanekom (2:35:53).
Freyer said his team worked well together.
“I’m very happy with my result. There were a lot of Hollard riders in the top ten – we worked together very well and Drikus and I managed to get away. Christiaan and Marco from Cymot were also up there and able to join in the racing at the front, and in the end I was able to get away with Sean, Drikus and Christiaan. Then there were further splits and then it was just Drikus and I from about 50km. Over the last 20km or so I was pretty much alone, and was able to stay in front,” he said.
Greeff won the women’s marathon in 2:48:18, finishing more than four minutes ahead of junior rider Rosemarie Thiel (3:02:25), while the veteran rider Melissa Hinz came third overall in 3:07:45.
They were followed by two sub veteran riders – Lelani Swart (3:09:25) and Courtney Liebenberg (3:12:48) and the veteran rider Hester Prins (3:12:48).
Simon Simon won the men’s half marathon over 38,5km in 1:45:01, followed by Karl-Nikolai Lisse (1:46:31) and Francois van Zyl (1:46:32), while Nicola Fester won the women’s half marathon in 1:53:10, followed by Ulande Viljoen (2:01:27) and Ulrike Steidler (2:05:00).
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