Looser completes hat-trick in 2017 Desert Dash race
Konny Looser scooped the ultimate prize at the Nedbank Desert Dash race for the 3rd time in a row.Looser won in the men’s solo category and walked off with N$34 000 for completing the gruelling race that took place recently in Swakopmund.
Looser also managed to set a new record, completing the 369 kilometre stretch in 13 hours and 55 minutes.
Following on Looser’s heels was Max Knox who made off with N$19,000 for his solo effort, while Thinus Redelinghuys received N$12,000 for coming third in the men’s solo category.
“I would like to applaud each and every one of the cyclists who participated in the 2017 Nedbank Desert Dash. You can all be proud of the fact that you have overcome the peril that is the desert and have shown to us today who you really are. It really is amazing the amount of effort you put in to make this race possible. Thank you for this tremendous commitment, which lies at the core of making the Nedbank Desert Dash possible,” said Eddie Turner, Executive for Nedbank Corporate and Executive Banking during the official prize giving ceremony.
Meanwhile, in the women’s solo division, Rebecca Robisch had an incredible race coming first, with a time of 16 hours and 9 minutes while Wilmien Chamberlaine and Anri Parker came second and third respectively. Robisch also received N$34,000 while Chamberlaine got N$19,000 while Parker received N$12,000.
In the two men’s division, Team Kia Elite’s Cobus Smit and Drikus Coetzee made it to the checkpoint first while Michelle Vorster and Carmen Buchacher, riding for the Janine and Suzelle Davin Sport Trust were first in the two women category with each team walking away with N$20,000.
This year’s race also offered a mixed gender team and 4 Person teams, all vying for a stake of the N$370,000 total prize money distributed to the best performers.
Team MBM came up top in the 4 man category, Team Kia- UCT taking second place and the Gondwana Dust Devils finishing in third place.
One of the highlights of this year’s Desert Dash was when farm worker Johannes Uheka, who competed with a borrowed bicycle, walked away with an Aygo worth N $170,000 sponsored by Indongo Toyota.
Caption: Max Knox, Konny Looser and Thinus Redelinghuys
