Namibia's Alex Miller and South Africa's Hayley Preen were crowned the elite men and women's winners of the Khomas100 African Gravel Championships on Saturday after dominating their categories.
The Khomas100 cycling challenge, which featured top riders from across the continent competing for UCI points, saw elite racers covering 157 kilometres from Windhoek to Gross Barmen Resort outside Okahandja.
This year's championship also served as a qualifier for the World Gravel Championships after being recognised as an African gravel bike championship by the UCI and sanctioned by the Confederation of African Cycling (CAC).
The race stretched through a winding route with flat plains and challenging climbs totalling approximately 2 300 metres of elevation gain, testing riders' endurance.
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Miller, who was crowned African champion and successfully defended his Namibian title, broke away from the peloton alongside South African rider Marc Pritzen with 20 kilometres remaining.
Determined to be crowned African champion, Miller launched a decisive attack with just nine kilometres left and pushed hard until he crossed the finish line, completing the 157km race in four hours, 39 minutes, and 15 seconds (4:39:15). He finished one minute and 11 seconds ahead of his closest rival, Pritzen, who finished in 4:40:26.
Pritzen's teammate, Jaco van Dyk, completed the top three positions with a time of 04:43:01.
In the women's elite category, Preen dominated and was crowned African champion with a time of 05:36:32, nearly four minutes ahead of Anri Greef, who secured the title of Namibian National Gravel Champion for the first time with a time of 05:39:56.
South African rider Sonica Klooper completed the podium spots by finishing third in 5:52:54.
After the race, Miller told Nampa that he was happy to retain the Namibian title and to be crowned the African champion.
"It's really important to wear the national jersey while competing in Europe. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I gave it my all. With just nine kilometres left, I attacked and pushed hard until the finish," Miller said.
Greeff, who was crowned Namibian champion, said the race was tough, but she was excited about her victory.
"This is the first time I am winning this title, and it was not an easy ride today. The heat played a role, but I focused on riding my race and defending against attacks from others," she said. - Nampa
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