Only 30 odd seconds separated the Namibian team from a podium position at the 21st edition of the SA under 16 cycling tour, held in Harrismith last weekend.

Held over four days in the southern Free State, the tour attracts the cream of Under 16 cyclists, male and female, and is the highlight of the racing calendar for most riders. After registration on Thursday morning, racing got under way with a 1.7 km prologue to establish a starting order for the next days stage. Only tenths of seconds separated the first two riders, with Harmony’s Shaun-Nick Bester taking victory ahead of pre race favourite Rourke Croeser. Frank Adrian of Namibia crossed the line only seven seconds behind the leaders, with the remaining Namibians less than 15 seconds in arrears.

Stage one got off to a bad start for Team Namibia as Frank Adrian derailed his chain, ending in a high speed crash that spelled disaster for his results. As a tour veteran, he kept his cool while his mechanic repaired the bike, and was able to reintegrate the main field after 15 minutes of hard chasing. At the finish, Norbert Meyer was able to hang with the lead group, crossing the finish line in 6th place and moving Namibia up the overall standings, with his team mates hot on his heels.

After several painkillers and metres of bandage, Frank Adrian was fighting fit again. His bicycle, badly bent, needed 4 hours of attention to get it ready for the next day, but spirits in the Namibian camp where high. Saturday morning rolled along, and riders started the 70 km stage in Kestell, racing back to Harrismith via Qwa Qwa. The strong winds played a factor, with riders in the gutter for most of the course. The Namibian team was very prominent at the front, setting a pace which put the powerful Hi-Q team under pressure and eventually led to them dropping off. The aggressive riding moved Namibia into fourth in the team classification.

An unexpected move by the organizers to include a circuit race on Saturday afternoon baffled many competitors, but the Namibians attacked the challenge with relish and rode strongly at the front of the filed to eliminate many of their competitors. However, controversial judging after the event disadvantaged the strong riders, while benefiting the weaker riders. Namibia’s team manager, Patrick de Goede, appealed against the results and Namibia’s lead was re-instated over the Hi-Q team.

The final stage on Sunday morning would take riders up into the Drakensberg, with some lung-busting climbs to separate the group. Head winds of nearly 60 km/h did not brighten the mood at the start line, and numerous riders were blown off the road towards the finish. The Namibians impressed, getting into several breakaways, and hung onto the lead group till 3 km from the end. By the finish they had lost three minutes to the leaders, with Frank Adrian, Stefan Marggraff and Florian Drobisch finishing together. In the end, the Namibian team finished fourth in the team classification and placed three riders in the top fifteen. The tour winner was Rourke Croeser of Kwazulu Natal, who also recently won the under 16 category at the African Mountainbike Champs held in Windhoek.

The results bode well for the team that will represent Namibia at next year’s Junior Tour in March and planning is already underway to prepare the riders. The team would like to thank Windhoek Pedal Power, Zimmermann Garage, Alexander Forbes, Scandia Kitchens, Adrian & Meyer Jewelers and Tiger Wheel & Tyre for their generous contributions to the tour, as well as all the individuals who made cash donations.