Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Nedbank Desert Dash is not for crazy people, nor those with a death-wish. “It’s not something crazy. It’s something awesome. It’s one of the nicest and enjoyable races you find in Namibia,” says Marckenzy Eiseb, a semi-professional cyclist who competed in the two-man category with Xavier Papo.
The duo rode under the banner of The Namibian Powerhouse team and took just over 18 hours to complete the gruelling course, some three hours after overall winner Drikus Coetzee had broken through the tape to claim his first title of the competition.
They did not make the podium, but added another memorable experience to their catalogue of adventures.
“Riding on a bike to Swakop from Windhoek is great experience,” Eiseb said.
The elements made for a particularly challenging race this year, with the searing heat and strong headwind wrecking havoc and causing the field to splinter before the first checkpoint.
But cycling through the rugged and breathtaking terrain helped the riders to push through, said the winner of the women’s solo race category, Yolande de Villiers from South Africa.
“It’s absolutely beautiful. I love it. I will be back next year,” De Villiers, who placed in the top ten overall, exclaimed after the race.
Stage three is regarded by many riders as the toughest with many short, steep climbs and descents as the route criss-crosses valleys and rivers of the Khomas Hochland.
“The first half of the race was relatively tough. The guys went off pretty hard. Stage two was the hardest for me because you’re constantly going up and down,” said Papo.
“But I enjoyed it. It was a nice challenge.”
Eiseb has done the Desert Dash five times now. He was the lead rider on the first four occasions. This time he drove through the first three stages on the support vehicle. And only got on his bike before midnight.
“It was my first time doing the second section of the race. The rockiness and soft sand was not something I expected. When people talked about the second section, I thought it was easier,” he said.
“I thought about doing the solo next year, but I wanna downgrade to four man again. Two-man was really tough. Once you’ve done the solo, that’s when you’ve done the Dash. So, maybe I’ll attempt sometime in the future.”
The world’s longest single-stage mountain bike event is not for the faint-hearted, cautions six-time Desert Dash campaigner Papo.
“You have to prepare very well for the Desert Dash. It’s not a race to take on if you’re not in good condition,” said Papo.
Around half of the 930 riders who set off from Grove Mall in Windhoek not get to the finish line at Swakopmund’s Platz am Meer mall before the cut-off time, with many of those dropping out altogether.
This year, cyclists registered to race across three categories: solo men and women, and two-member and four-member teams.
“It’s not about finishing first. It’s about completing the course. When you cross that finish line, it’s a rewarding experience,” said Tileni Mongudhi, a social cyclist and another member of The Namibian Powerhouse team.
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