Namibian Olympic cyclist, Alex Miller, who was crowned African Champion on Saturday, says his recent victory is something he always dreamt of as a young boy.

Speaking to Nampa on Monday, Miller said while it has not sunk in that he is an Elite African Champion following his victory in the 12th African Cycling Confederation (CAC) Mountain Bike (MTB) Africa Championships in Windhoek, he will draw from his Under-23 experience, when he carried the same title at that level two years ago.

“Two days before the race, I felt good and decided to compete as an elite cyclist rather than under 23 (where he still qualifies). I told myself I have nothing to lose,” Miller said.

He told Nampa that he is leaving for Germany on Wednesday, where he will link up with his Germany MTB Cycling team, Trek Valude, for which he will be participating in various training camps and competitions.

“The level of cycling in Europe is high. I am going there to get exposure and experience. I am also looking forward to being named in Namibia’s Commonwealth team,” he said.

Miller paid tribute to South African riders who continuously participate in Namibian races for giving the local athletes the much-needed exposure and competition.

“Our neighbours have the exposure and experience, which rubs off on us here. But we must also expose our riders to international experiences, especially in Europe,” he said.

Meanwhile, one rider who will be getting international exposure is Hugo Hahn, who finished ninth on Saturday.

He left Namibia on Monday morning for Switzerland, where he will be based at the Union Cycliste Internationale’s (UCI) World Cycling Center for the next five months while he trains and races in Europe.

He told Nampa that the UCI had been tracking him for the past year and they invited him to go over, train and participate in various world cup races.

On his performance on Saturday, Han said the race did not go as planned.

“I broke my collarbone three weeks before the race and I made a late decision to race. I did get a great start and was at one point number one, but I broke my chain, forcing me to run half a lap to get it fixed and falling to number last on the race, before making my way into the top 10,” he said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency