By: Hee-Dee Walenga
The 40th Nedbank Cycle Challenge, dubbed the “Greatest Ride Under the Sun” took place in Windhoek on Sunday morning with hundreds of cyclists of all ages and skill levels taking on 25km, 60km, and 100km courses.
The Kidz Challenge, meant for young cyclists between the ages of two (2) and ten (10), returned to the Cycle Challenge after a long hiatus. A total of N$100,000 was distributed among the various podium finishers.
25-year-old, three-time Namibian National Road Race Champion and 2024 Olympian, Alex Miller, was crowned as the overall men’s winner for the 100km category. Martin Freier and Christiaan van der Westhuizen finished second and third respectively.
“It was a good ride. Kudos to the organisers and sponsors of the event. I’m super happy, being able to win is a privilege,” Miller told the media after the race.
18-year-old rising star, Delsia Janse van Vuuren took the crown for the overall women’s 100km category. She was trailed by 17-year-old Rosemarie Thiel and 2024 Nedbank Desert Dash solo women’s champion, Belinda van Rhyn. “Today was fun. I had a target on my back without Anri Greeff being here. It was interesting in that regard, but I am happy to get the win,” van Vuuren told The Villager.
The Chase brothers put on a stellar performance in the junior categories. 17-year-old Nathan Chase, who won the 2026 Africa Triathlon Junior Cup in Egypt a week ago, finished second in the 100km junior men’s category and fourth in the overall men’s 100km category. Nathan’s younger brother, 15-year-old Micah, won the overall men’s 60km category as well as the junior 60km boys’ category.
The Villager caught up with 14-year-old Hendrik Baartman, who won the U14 60km boys’ category. Speaking on why he enjoys cycling, he stated that “It relieves the pressure from a hard day.” Answering the same question, 16-year-old Christo Nell shared that “it allows you to be free and go anywhere you want with your bike. It also keeps you fit,” the young rider expressed.
Also speaking to The Villager after the race, Namibian Cycling Federation President, Tauko Shilongo, who also participated in this year’s challenge, noted that “It was well organised. The turnout was huge. This is all about fun, recreation, and health.”
Outgoing Nedbank Namibia Head of Marketing, Gernot de Klerk, told The Villager, “When you have a heritage as deep as the Nedbank Cycle Challenge, which started in 1986, you run the risk of it becoming stale. But everything went so well this year.”
De Klerk added that the 1986 race was the very first competitive cycling race in Namibia. “The success is measured in the enjoyment of people coming out to our races and experiencing something unique,” said de Klerk.
He described his early retirement as a bitter-sweet moment, but assured he will still be around to support the sport. “I take personal pride in seeing the sport develop into what it has today,” de Klerk concluded.
