Cyclist Costa Seibeb made history on Sunday when he won the Nedbank Cycle Challenge for the fourth year in a row.
The 23-year-old Seibeb first won the event over 75km in 2012 and since 2013 has won the 100km race each year till now.
This year he also underlined his versatility to win the Nedbank Mountain Bike Marathon Championships last month
These achievements underlined his status as one of Namibia’s top cyclists, but his success took a lot of hard work and dedication. Helge Schutz of The Namibian Sport spoke to Seibeb about his career.
What’s your name?
Raul Costa Seibeb, but all my friends call me Costa.
Do you have any nicknames?
I’ve had many nicknames ranging from Ralle to Pumpkin.
When and where were you born?
Windhoek, 7 February 1992
Where did you grow up?
Mostly in Windhoek, but I also spent some time with my aunt on a farm close to Gobabis.
Where did you go to school?
I went to AI Steenkamp Primary School and Cosmos High School. I went till Grade 10 and from then on just continued cycling.
How and when did you start cycling:?
When I was still at primary school I got a pink BMX bike from my mom so I started to ride around with the guys in the neighbourhood. I was also playing soccer at the time but enjoyed cycling more because I always got hurt in soccer, but with cycling you are always on the move and can go far.
When did you start competing in races?
In my first year at Cosmos High School. Some cyclists came to the school to promote cycling amongst the youth so I joined them and started training with them. Then I met some other cyclists in Katutura and we formed a big cycling group.
When did you win your first title?
My first victory was in the Nedbank Cycle Classic in 2009 when I won the 30km race. It was a great achievement for me, it inspired me and I decided to take cycling seriously. I won the senior 75km race for the first time in 2012. No one really took me seriously then, so when I broke away they thought they would catch me again, but I maintained the gap and stayed away till the finish.
After your first victory in the Nedbank Cycle Challenge, you were invited to the UCI Africa Cycling Centre in South Africa. Tell us about that.
Dan Craven managed to get me a sponsorship and I went to the UCI Africa Centre in South Africa in 2012 where I started competing in races. I was invited back last year when I rode for the MTN Feeder team. I won two or three races in South Africa, but most of the time I was working for other cyclists, but I got good results overall.
In 2013, I was part of the UCI Africa team that toured through Europe – this was made possible by JP van Zyl, the director of the UCI Africa Centre. That was when I won my first international race in Switzerland. I was competing against some top sprinters but I just waited till the last moment and took my chance. It was really an exciting feeling to win that race, and I’d say that’s still my best achievement to date.
What does cycling mean to you?
I have always trained hard, but I just liked cycling from the start – it’s just something about me. If I don’t go riding for two or three days, I don’t feel myself. When we race, I like to give some pain to my opponents, that’s what I enjoy the most in the race.
What are your top achievements to date?
Tell us about your training programme.
I train everyday between two to five hours on the bike.
Who inspired you?
