Alex Miller and Anri Krugel-Greef were crowned the 2024 Nedbank Namibia National XCM Champions at Swakopmund on Saturday.
Defending champion Miller beat Kevin Lowe and Martin Freyer to win the men's elite competition, coming home in three hours, six minutes, and fifty-six seconds (03:06:56).
Lowe and Freyer were separated by a split second after they both clocked 03:11:14 in a photo finish, with Lowe getting second place and Freyer third place.
In the women's elite section, Krugel-Greef added to her recent Paratus Namibian Cycle Classic double success with a first place time of 03:45:16, followed by Nicola Fester in second place in a time of 04:22:05, with third place going to Anna-Mart Kruger, who finished after 04:23:17.
A total of 85 riders participated in the competition which took place at Habitat Life Centre at Swakopmund. The winners earned rights to the cross country marathon national jersey's, which means they will represent Namibia at international competitions in the 2025 cycling season.
Speaking after the race, Miller expressed his happiness in winning the marathon, saying he wanted to complete the 84-kilometre race in less than three hours.
"The competition was high with strong riders on the day. I was able to get away early and managed to open the gap. I knew that nobody would catch up with me. The course was challenging, compared to the one for last year," Miller said.
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He added that he was happy to win the national jersey for the second year running and is looking forward to representing Namibia at international events.
Event organiser Alfons Kiesewetter, of Cycles4U, says the event went well as the track was well-prepared and challenging.
"The riders expected an 'easier' marathon route but were challenged to the maximum. We are also happy with the turnout, and there were no major incidents during the competition," Kiesewetter says.
Kiesewetter adds that the weather was conducive for cycling and the competition was fierce among the riders.
Namibia Cycling Federation (NCF) vice president Axel Theissen congratulated the winners, saying the event delivered top-quality competition.
Speaking after the event, Nedbank Namibia communications and public relations manager Selma Kaulinge congratulated the organisers and NCF on hosting the national championships, saying this is a testament to NCF's commitment to taking the sport across Namibia.
"Nedbank Namibia has a long history of supporting cycling events which develop the Namibian cycling talent, we are surely on the right track in ensuring that Namibia can be represented on the international cycling stage," Kaulinge said.
"The NCF, with the suppport of Nedbank, continues the promotion of sport through community engagement such as this one which help to elevate Namibian cycling and inspire our athletes," she continued
"Together, we are cycling towards victory and building a legacy of excellence and unity within the Namibian cycling community."
