Looser wins sixth Nedbank Desert Dash
SWAKOPMUND – Swiss national Konny Looser won the men’s 2020 Nedbank Namibia Desert Dash for a record sixth time in a row in a time of 14 hours, 45 minutes and 21 seconds (14:45:21) on Saturday.
Looser who cycled in the men’s solo category beat Namibian Martin Freyer who came home in a time of 15:05:48 with last year’s runner up Dusty Day of South Africa finishing third in a time of 16:34:48. This was the 21st edition of the Nedbank Namibia Desert Dash, which faced lots of doubts due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
In the women’s category, Irene Steyn outclassed Genevieve Webber of South Africa to win the ladies sole ride in a time of 17:52:35. Webber clocked 18:15:45 while third-placed Namibian Wilmien Chamberlain came home in a distant time of 19:39:58.
The Desert Dash is Namibia’s longest cycling race which is 373-km from Windhoek to Swakopmund over a period of 24 hours through the world’s oldest desert. In the men’s two-person team, brothers Kia and Marc Pritzen of Marathon Sugar retained their 2019 title when they beat Julbo Sterkspan’s Adriaan Albert Myburgh and Nicolaas Pieter Sterk for first place.
Third place went to team Cathy’s pair of Jean-Paul Burger and Jacques van Zyl. The first two person’s ladies team title went to Team PSG Cycletec comprising of Lauren Davidson and Jana von Backstrom.
Speaking after winning the race Looser said this year’s race was a bit tough because of the different weather conditions in the Khomas Region and at the coast.
“It was hot and windy inland, while the coast was foggy and a bit wet. This was one of my hardest dashes and I was on the limit. I broke early which I think surprised my opponents. After the halfway point I ran out of food and started experiencing stomach pains,” he explained.
He said the year did not have enough races due to Covid-19 hence his decision to come back and compete after having ruled out competing in the Nedbank Desert Dash again. On her part, Steyn said everything went according to plan, as the idea was to improve from last year’s performance and win the dash from the get-go.
She added that the race was good, saying the organisers did a great job as everything was in order from the athletes’ point of view. The 16th edition of the Nedbank Desert Dash started at Grove Mall in Windhoek on Friday at 15h00, with cyclists riding through the mountains and desert throughout the night.