National Road Race Champions crowned

10 February 2026

Over 200 cyclists took part in the 2026 Nedbank National Individual Time Trials (ITT) and Road Race (RR) Championships, which were held in Windhoek over the weekend. The ITT took place on Friday, 6 February, while the Road Race was contested on Sunday, 8 February 2026. The 2 competitions are International Cycling Union (UCI) sanctioned events, which allowed Namibian cyclists to earn international ranking points.

In the elite men's ITT, Martin Freyer claimed victory by clocking 00:56:14. Jaques Hanekom finished second in 00:58:11, while Adrian Key took third place in 01:00:00. Key was also crowned the winner of the under-23 category.

In the women's ITT competition, Anri Greeff claimed the elite women's title in a time of 00:41:56. She was followed by Delsia Janse van Vuuren, who clocked 00:44:42 and was also declared the under-23 winner. Monique du Plessis finished third in 00:45:41.

Reflecting on her ITT race, Greeff said the rain was unexpected and made the race more difficult: 'I don't think as Namibians we do well in the rain and cold, but I guess it was good.'

In the Road Race on Sunday, the men's under-23 race winner, Roger Suren, claimed the national title after a photo finish against Namibian Olympian Alex Miller. Suren completed the 167 kilometre race in 04:00:02, with Miller narrowly behind. Freyer finished third in a time of 04:00:43.

Speaking after the race, Suren said it had not yet sunk in that he was the 2026 Nedbank Namibian National Road Race Champion: 'I think it's the longest road race I've done, but there wasn't much climbing, so it was quite high-speed. In the beginning, the legs weren't 100%, but at the end, I just felt good, and I knew I just had to hang on, because I have quite a good sprint.'

In the elite women's Road Race, Greeff continued her strong form by winning the 117 kilometre race in 03:09:21. Delsia Janse van Vuuren finished second in 03:14:13, while Belinda van Rhyn placed third in 03:17:06. Greeff said the route was challenging, with frequent climbs and strong wind, but she was happy to successfully defend her title.

Overall, Greeff claimed the elite women's Road Race title as well as the ITT championship, while Suren secured the men's under-23 Road Race crown.

President of the Namibia Cycling Federation (NCF) Tauko Shilongo said the 2 races were a resounding success and were held while honouring the late presidents of Namibia Dr Sam Nujoma, the founding father of Namibia, and Dr Hage Geingob, the country's third president, who passed away in February 2024: 'I'd like to thank the Namibia National Olympics Committee, the Sports Commission, and the Ministry of Sports for allowing us to have this race on the new highway named after Dr Hage Geingob during the period we are remembering him. He, together with Dr Sam Nujoma, paved the way for us to have races of such nature in our peaceful country.'

He added that the NCF executive committee, together with sponsors and volunteers, had put in a lot of work to make the event a success. Shilongo also noted that the federation is now looking ahead to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles: 'The likes of Roger, Anri, and other upcoming young cyclists are the ones we are targeting for the LA Olympics in 2028.'

Nedbank Namibia Chief Commercial Officer JG van Graan said: 'As money experts who do good in the communities we serve, we made a deliberate and strategic decision in 2013 to invest meaningfully in cycling in Namibia. Our commitment was never just about sponsorship, but about contributing to the growth and sustainability of the sport, from grassroots development through to elite competition. From the outset, our intention was clear – to play an active role in building a strong cycling ecosystem that creates opportunities, nurtures talent and inspires future champions.'

Van Graan added: 'I would like to thank the organisers for a job well done, as well as congratule the winners for taking on this new chapter of representing our country in international races.'