Die topvier solo-voltooiers van die eerste Le Dur. Van links is Frans Amakali (vierde), Gregor von Medeazza (derde), Pierre Lambert (wenner) en Hentie Hough (tweede). Foto Andrew Poolman
Die topvier solo-voltooiers van die eerste Le Dur. Van links is Frans Amakali (vierde), Gregor von Medeazza (derde), Pierre Lambert (wenner) en Hentie Hough (tweede). Foto Andrew Poolman

Waagmoediges in Le Dur wek ontsag

Bergfietsry
Die byeenkoms lyk bestem om hom as 'n meneer op die plaaslike kalender te vestig.
Andrew Poolman
Die Le Dur Adventure wat die afgelope naweek vir die eerste keer aangebied is, is nou bo twyfel die langste en taaiste bergfietsrygeleentheid in Namibië.

Die waagmoed van alle spanlede en veral die agt soloryers wat ingeskryf het om die 530 kilometer van meestal grondpad met ’n wye draai rondom Windhoek te takel, het op sigself bewondering afgedwing.

Selfs net enige van die skofte is op sy eie reeds ’n uitmergelende toets van deursettingsvermoë, met die roete wat suid van Windhoek weggespring het met draaipunte op die Dordabispad, Kappsfarm, Midgard, Okahandja, Wilhelmstal, Otjimbingwe en die C28-pad terug na Windhoek voor die eindpunt by Towerbos, wes van die hoofstad, bereik is.

Sonder ondersteuningsvoertuie is hierdie uitdaging beslis nie vir elkeen bedoel nie. Ryers se stories agterna het getuig van die warm somerson, die lastige wind van voor, die stadiger vordering deur dele met dik sand, die aanhoudende klimme teen ruwe terrein uit en sommiges wat in die fietssaal ’n stryd teen die slaperigheid moes voer terwyl hulle bedags of snags iewers in die middel van nêrens was.

Pierre Lambert van Windhoek was die kanniedood wat ná 31 ure 20 minute die solo-resies in die eerste posisie voltooi het – voor die veteraan Hentie Hough (35 ure 03 minute), die gebore Fransman Gregor von Medeazza (36 ure 35 minute) en Frans Amakali (40 ure), wat die eerste Namibiese voltooier van die 2022 Comrades ultra-marathon was.

Lambert het as ’n proeflopie in November hierdie afstand in die teenoorgestelde rigting gery en sê hy het gereken hierdie jaar se roete sou ietwat makliker wees, maar dit was geensins die geval nie.

Daniel Abraham, ’n gedugte Paralimpiese kampioenryer van Nederland wat in sy voorseisoen hier kom voorberei, was ook ’n solo-inskrywing wat sowat 190 km, tot tussen Midgard en Okahandja, gevorder het.

Die resies tussen die driemanspanne is gewen deur Pedal for Love (Maruen Kleopas, Tuhafeni Hamundjebo en Simon Kaita), voor Team Triple Jay (Johan Fourie, Johan de Beer, John Valentin) en die Suid-Afrikaanse drietal RP Africa Braveheart (Pierre de Bruin, Clinton Hefer en Dirk de Bruin).

Nog drie spanne wat klaargemaak het, was Black Panthers & White Tiger (John Mutesi, Ananias Shilongo en Freddy van Zyl), Ridiculous Three (Tom Jackson, Karen Nortje en Ryno Engelbrecht) en Omatako Riders (Dirk Potgieter, Nico Tromp en Eddie Viljoen).

Die Le Dur Adventure word gedryf deur Legacy of Love, ’n liefdadigheidsorganisasie wat deur Sybrand en Ronel de Beer begin en deur hul dogter Lumé geïnspireer is, tot voordeel van elkeen wat die verlies van ’n geliefde moet verwerk.

Mannie Heymans van Mannie’s Bike Mecca het ook ’n onmisbare bydrae gelewer om op die roete tegniese en logistieke steun aan die ryers te bied.

RP Africa Fleet Services was die hoofborg, terwyl Coca-Cola, Namib Mills, Deo Pharma, Robiati Distributors, Lambert Software Solutions, WKH, Southgate Shell, Readi Bites, Farm Kariam en Towerbos ook tot die sukses van die belowende eerste Le Dur-avontuur bygedra het.

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Katima Mulilo: 19° | 36° Rundu: 19° | 37° Eenhana: 18° | 37° Oshakati: 18° | 36° Ruacana: 18° | 36° Tsumeb: 24° | 35° Otjiwarongo: 18° | 34° Omaruru: 17° | 34° Windhoek: 18° | 31° Gobabis: 19° | 33° Henties Bay: 12° | 18° Wind speed: 21km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 07:34, High tide: 13:58, Low Tide: 20:05, High tide: 02:00 Swakopmund: 13° | 15° Wind speed: 28km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 07:32, High tide: 13:56, Low Tide: 20:03, High tide: 02:00 Walvis Bay: 12° | 19° Wind speed: 28km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 07:32, High tide: 13:55, Low Tide: 20:03, High tide: 02:00 Rehoboth: 18° | 33° Mariental: 20° | 35° Keetmanshoop: 17° | 32° Aranos: 20° | 36° Lüderitz: 12° | 19° Ariamsvlei: 19° | 34° Oranjemund: 13° | 21° Luanda: 24° | 26° Gaborone: 16° | 28° Lubumbashi: 19° | 35° Mbabane: 9° | 20° Maseru: 9° | 26° Antananarivo: 13° | 30° Lilongwe: 19° | 23° Maputo: 15° | 26° Windhoek: 18° | 31° Cape Town: 15° | 26° Durban: 14° | 19° Johannesburg: 14° | 23° Dar es Salaam: 24° | 30° Lusaka: 18° | 29° Harare: 16° | 21° Currency: GBP to NAD 22.98 | EUR to NAD 19.18 | CNY to NAD 2.47 | USD to NAD 17.59 | DZD to NAD 0.13 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.28 | EGP to NAD 0.35 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.65 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.15 | RUB to NAD 0.18 | INR to NAD 0.21 | USD to DZD 132.84 | USD to AOA 909.05 | USD to BWP 13.33 | USD to EGP 48.5 | USD to KES 128.5 | USD to NGN 1625.33 | USD to ZAR 17.6 | USD to ZMW 26.44 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index Same 0 | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1860.17 Up +0.28% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 14048.66 Down -0.38% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 30273.06 Up +1.06% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 650.03/OZ UP +0.02% | Copper US$ 4.35/lb DOWN -0.0065 | Zinc US$ 3 025.00/T DOWN -2.14% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 74.77/BBP DOWN -0.0088 | Platinum US$ 983.23/OZ DOWN -0.009 Sport results: Weather: Katima Mulilo: 19° | 36° Rundu: 19° | 37° Eenhana: 18° | 37° Oshakati: 18° | 36° Ruacana: 18° | 36° Tsumeb: 24° | 35° Otjiwarongo: 18° | 34° Omaruru: 17° | 34° Windhoek: 18° | 31° Gobabis: 19° | 33° Henties Bay: 12° | 18° Wind speed: 21km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 07:34, High tide: 13:58, Low Tide: 20:05, High tide: 02:00 Swakopmund: 13° | 15° Wind speed: 28km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 07:32, High tide: 13:56, Low Tide: 20:03, High tide: 02:00 Walvis Bay: 12° | 19° Wind speed: 28km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 07:32, High tide: 13:55, Low Tide: 20:03, High tide: 02:00 Rehoboth: 18° | 33° Mariental: 20° | 35° Keetmanshoop: 17° | 32° Aranos: 20° | 36° Lüderitz: 12° | 19° Ariamsvlei: 19° | 34° Oranjemund: 13° | 21° Luanda: 24° | 26° Gaborone: 16° | 28° Lubumbashi: 19° | 35° Mbabane: 9° | 20° Maseru: 9° | 26° Antananarivo: 13° | 30° Lilongwe: 19° | 23° Maputo: 15° | 26° Windhoek: 18° | 31° Cape Town: 15° | 26° Durban: 14° | 19° Johannesburg: 14° | 23° Dar es Salaam: 24° | 30° Lusaka: 18° | 29° Harare: 16° | 21° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 22.98 | EUR to NAD 19.18 | CNY to NAD 2.47 | USD to NAD 17.59 | DZD to NAD 0.13 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.28 | EGP to NAD 0.35 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.65 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.15 | RUB to NAD 0.18 | INR to NAD 0.21 | USD to DZD 132.84 | USD to AOA 909.05 | USD to BWP 13.33 | USD to EGP 48.5 | USD to KES 128.5 | USD to NGN 1625.33 | USD to ZAR 17.6 | USD to ZMW 26.44 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index Same 0 | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1860.17 Up +0.28% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 14048.66 Down -0.38% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 30273.06 Up +1.06% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 650.03/OZ UP +0.02% | Copper US$ 4.35/lb DOWN -0.0065 | Zinc US$ 3 025.00/T DOWN -2.14% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 74.77/BBP DOWN -0.0088 | Platinum US$ 983.23/OZ DOWN -0.009