Craven, Adrian unstoppable

LIMBA MUPETAMI



Dan Craven won the 2019 Nedbank Cycling Challenge elite men’s 100km race time in a time of two hours, 26 minutes and 19 seconds, while Vera Adrian was the elite women’s winner over the same distance in a time of two hours, 53 minutes and 39 seconds.

The men’s race was closely contested, but for the third successive year Craven shrugged off his opponents to win the title.

Adrian was followed home by Michelle Vorster for the second year in a row.

Last year, Craven’s winning time was two hours, 16 minutes and two seconds, while Adrian took last year’s women’s honours in two hours, 43 minutes and seven seconds.

“After last week (at the national cycling championship) when I came second, I said that I had to make up for that. I wanted to the win race in a different way. I think I’m still struggling with the altitude. I didn’t feel great. Early on I knew that I wasn’t going to ride away alone. The field was strong,” Craven said.

“The big danger man was Nolan Hoffman. Because he is a sprinter; he was in the leading group. I knew if I beat him, I will win. He is that strong. If you sprint head-to-head with him, you will lose.

“So I came with speed from the back. I was lucky enough to catch him off-guard. It was a long sprint. I was thinking that he was coming to pass me at any second,” Craven added.

Now that the challenge race is out of the way, the Nedbank Kids Challenge will be held on Saturday, 23 February at the Waldorf School in Avis, with close to 200 cyclists expected to take part, while the Nedbank MTB Challenge will also start at Waldorf School, with about 700 cyclists expected to enter.

Cyclists are encouraged to enter online at www.today.com.na or alternatively at Airtime City vending machines or Nedbank branches countrywide before 19 February.

100km women’s elite race top ten:

1. Vera Adrian (2:53:39)

2. Michelle Vorster (2:53:39)

3. Genevieve Weber (3:03:40)

4. Adele Conradie (3:03:42)

5. Anneke Steenkamp (3:03:50)

6. Maike Bochert (3:03:54)

7. Risa Dreyer (3:03:54)

8. Silke Bean (3:04:02)

9. Lauren Lewis (3:04:06)

10. Eleanor Grassow (3:04:06)

100km men’s elite race top ten:

1. Dan Craven (2:26:19)

2. Nolan Hoffman (2:26:20)

3. Alex Miller (2:26:20)

4. Xavier Papo (2:26:22)

5. Konny Looser (2:26:22)

6. Ingram Cuff (2:26:22)

7. Dieter Koen (2:26:23)

8. Kashululu Chiponeni (2:26:23)

9. Kai Pritzen (2:26:23)

10. Jacques Celliers (2:26:24)

Top three (60km women’s race)

1. Mimi Hough (1:36:35)

2. Marion Schonecke (1:36:36)

3. Rina Lambert (1:36:37)

Top three (60km men’s race)

1. Devon Farmer (1:34:46)

2. Bergran Jensen (1:34:48)

3. Konrad Marais (1:34:50)

Top three (30km women’s race)

1. Lene Du Plessis (0:58:36

2. Bianca Janse van Vuuren (1:00:32)

3. Jaen-Marie Mostert (1:02:47)

Top three (30km men’s race)

1. Jurgen van Wyk (0:52:43)

2. Rian Krizinger (0:52:44)

3. Francios Prinsloo (0:52:48)

Top three (20km women’s race)

1. Delsi Janse van Vuuren (0:48:42)

2. Carmi Pauw (TIME NOT AVAILABLE)

3. Kylie Dickerson (0:51:39)

Top three (20km men’s race)

1. Gerhard Cornelissen (0:46:43)

2. Fariet Cornelissen (TNA)

3. Lynfon Platt (TNA)