Swiss national, Konny Looser, dubbed by Nedbank Namibia as “the man, the myth, the legend” on Saturday crossed the Desert Dash finish line first for the seventh time – more than any other participant.
Competing against nearly 1 000 riders, of which 190 were solo, over a distance of 397km from Windhoek, through the Khomas Hochland Mountains and Namib Desert, to Swakopmund, Looser finished the race in 14 hours 52 minutes and 16 seconds.
“I wanted this one badly, although I suffered, but you have to overcome these things, and that is why it makes this so special; it all worked out in the end,” he said.
He said that he does not know whether he will compete again next year, but added “you can never be sure; anything can happen.”
The second solo man to cross the line was South Africa’s Dusty Day (16:02:01), while another South African, Marc Pritzen (16:02:33) took third place.
Namibia’s Belinda van Rhyn was the first woman to cross the finish line after coming second last year. She finished in a time of 18 hours 47 minutes and 17 seconds.
“I could not have done this without the support of others, who pushed me on all the way,” she said, adding that she was very grateful for the win, as it took a lot of hard work and motivation.
German national Nina Holtrup (19:13:19) came second in the women’s solo, with SA’s Rebecca van Huyssteen taking third spot in this division.
The two-person race was won by Philip Buys and Alex Miller (14:20:35), while the four-person team race was won by Hollard Life’s Ingram Cuff, Andre Vermeulen, Clinton Hilfiker and Gerhard Mans who crossed the finish line in the fastest overall race time of 13:53:29.
Annette Stafford-Evans of Nedbank Namibian, who was the main sponsor said that the race was “no small feat” for anyone who participated.
“Merely finishing is also an achievement in itself and it shows your dedication and your tenacity,” she said.
Nedbank Namibia officially launched the 19th edition of the Nedbank Desert Dash.
The race is believed to be the longest single-staged mountain bike race in the world with a 24-hour spectrum to finish the nearly 400km over unforgiving terrain.
More than 1 000 cyclists entered this year’s event, with 160 cyclists participating in the two-men teams, 624 in the four-person teams, and 190 cyclists riding solo. A total of 38 participants took part in the new half-dash category, which saw cyclists over 50 years of age cycling from the Hollard Halfway point to the finish line. The race also included a first-ever e-bike category for four-person teams, where each cyclist was required to ride on an e-bike.
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