Namibian cyclist Tristan de Lange has set his sights on completing the 393 kilometre (km) Nedbank Namibia Desert Dash race which is slated for 10 and 11 December 2021.
The race, which must be completed within 24 hours, will start at 15h00 on Friday at Grove Mall in Windhoek, ending at Platz am Meer in Swakopmund at 15h00 on Saturday.
In an interview with Nampa on Wednesday, the 24-year-old De Lange, who is better known as a mountain bike rider but who represented Namibia at the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan in the road race, said he is prepared for the gruelling 24-hour race across the Namib Desert.
“This will be my first time going solo at the Desert Dash. The competition is tight so it’ll be a very exciting race,” he said.
The 2019 African Mountain Bike Cross Country champion further said everyone is looking forward to the Desert Dash.
“I am certainly looking forward to the race and I will be rolling onto the start line confidently,” De Lange stated.
In 2017 while riding in a four-person team for Team Kia, De Lange and his teammates Hans du Toit, Denzil de Koe and Alex Miller, were crowned champions in the male category of the four-person teams.
The 393km Desert Dash which takes place mainly on gravel road, will see over 800 cyclists challenging each other in five stages. Riders competing in the Nedbank Namibia Desert Dash can participate in solo categories or teams of two or four persons.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency