Namibia’s international cyclist Vera Looser successfully defended her time trial title after winning the Elite Women’s Individual Time Trial (ITT) at the Nedbank Namibian National ITT Championships on Friday.

The men’s category saw a new champion crowned after Jean-Paul Burger pipped Drikus Coetzee to the title he has won for four years in a row.

To be crowned champion in the men’s category Burger did an impressive time of 50 minutes and 27 seconds (50:27) in the 40.8-kilometre (km) route. Coetzee was 25 seconds behind him with a time of 50:52 seconds, Heiko Diehl came third in a time of 55:53.

In the women category, Looser retained the Women National ITT title which she has now won for the seventh time. She clocked 28.07 seconds in the 20.4 km route.

Melissa Hinz came second 31 seconds behind in a time of 28.38 and Anri Krugel was third with a time of 28.52 seconds.

Bergran Jensen won the Men’s Under-23 category over 40.8km in 56:42, while Jurgen van Wyk was three minutes, four seconds behind in second with a time of 59:38 and Simon Keita was third with a time of 01:02:53.

The U-23 women category saw Monique du Plessis coming first in the 20.4km with a time of 32:18 while Olivia Shililifa was four minutes and six seconds behind in a time of 36:24 and Cindy Rowland finished third with a time of 38:55.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency