Drikus Coetzee and Melissa Hinz were on Friday crowned Individual Time Trial (ITT) national champions at the 2023 Nedbank Namibian National ITT Championships.

The men’s category saw Coetzee crowned national ITT champion for the fifth time in his career after pipping 2022 champion Jean-Paul Burger to the title on the new route that was developed for this year’s nationals.

To be crowned champion in the men’s category Coetzee recorded a time of 56 minutes and 29 seconds (56:29) in the 40-kilometre (km) route, while Burger was one minute and six seconds behind him with a time of 57:35 seconds. Hardus Nel came third in a time of one hour, two minutes and 57 seconds (1:02:57).

In the women’s category, 2022 ITT runner-up Hinz was crowned new champion after dominating seven-time national-time trial champion, Vera Looser.

Hinz had a great afternoon on the bike and rode a time of 31:33 in the 20km route and was one minute and 21 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Anri Krugel, who rode a time of 32.12. Looser had an off day at the office and took the last podium place with a time of 32.37 seconds.

Hinz’s win made it her second ITT national title after winning the 2020 edition, when she was the only female who competed in the Elite Women’s category. Looser has been dominating the elite women category since 2012.

JG van der Westhuizen won the Men’s Under-23 category over 40km in a time of 01:05:46, while Ethan L’Estrange was second with a time of 01:07:18 and Jurgen van Wyk was third with a time of 01:09:29.

The U-23 women’s category saw Monique du Plessis coming first in the 20km with a time of 34:32, while Olivia Shililifa was two minutes and six seconds behind in a time of 36:38.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency