Heletje is queen of the mountains

NAMIBIA’S top female cyclist Heletje van Staden was in brilliant form she won the Engen Hochland Mountain Biking Challenge in the capital on Saturday.

The 19-year-old cyclist won the women’s elite section over a challenging 40km mountain bike endurance race to win in a time of two hours 21 minutes and 58 seconds. Her closest competitor, Carmen Bassinghtwaighte, clocked in ten seconds later in a time of 2:31.29, while Charmaine Shannon ended third in 2:40.33.Van Staden has now clinched the race for the fifth year running, since it’s inception in 2003.Van Staden, a first year Bachelor of Commerce, specialising in Mathematics Science student at the Stellenbosch University in South Africa, has won most mountain bike races in South Africa in the under-23 category this year.She won the South African Mountain Bike Series, the SA Championships as well as the Western Province Championships.The 2006 Namibian Sports woman of the year nominee will represent Namibia at the African Mountain Bike Championships in Windhoek on July 28, with Bassinghtwaighte in the under-23 division.Jacques Celliers, hot from the B World Road Race Championships in the South Africa last week, won the elite men’s mountain bike race over 40km.He has done so for three years now.Celliers clocked in at 1:47.38 seconds ahead of Christo Swartz who came in at 1:50.12, while Hugh Bruce finished third in a time of 2:07.40.Celliers and van Staden won trophies and N$2000 each sponsored by Jordaan, Oosthuyzen and Nangolo Quantity Surveyors.NampaHer closest competitor, Carmen Bassinghtwaighte, clocked in ten seconds later in a time of 2:31.29, while Charmaine Shannon ended third in 2:40.33.Van Staden has now clinched the race for the fifth year running, since it’s inception in 2003.Van Staden, a first year Bachelor of Commerce, specialising in Mathematics Science student at the Stellenbosch University in South Africa, has won most mountain bike races in South Africa in the under-23 category this year.She won the South African Mountain Bike Series, the SA Championships as well as the Western Province Championships.The 2006 Namibian Sports woman of the year nominee will represent Namibia at the African Mountain Bike Championships in Windhoek on July 28, with Bassinghtwaighte in the under-23 division.Jacques Celliers, hot from the B World Road Race Championships in the South Africa last week, won the elite men’s mountain bike race over 40km.He has done so for three years now.Celliers clocked in at 1:47.38 seconds ahead of Christo Swartz who came in at 1:50.12, while Hugh Bruce finished third in a time of 2:07.40.Celliers and van Staden won trophies and N$2000 each sponsored by Jordaan, Oosthuyzen and Nangolo Quantity Surveyors.Nampa