Drikus Coetzee and Nina Holtrup may have won the men’s and women’s titles respectively at the 2025 Nedbank Desert Dash at the weekend, but the consensus from organisers, sponsors and Namibian Cycling Federation officials is that the real winner, after the 21st successful event, is cycling in Namibia.

It’s just incredible to see how popular the Desert Dash has become; we have riders coming from all over the world now to test themselves in our desert.

With just over 1000 riders entered into the 2025 event, organiser Mannie Heymans was overjoyed with the growth of a race that started as a simple Windhoek-to-Swakopmund ride amongst friends. “We are a bit like an airline at the moment – we might have overbooked, so we are hoping that a few people don’t arrive,” he joked last Friday, before the 401km ride across the Namib Desert kicked off.

“It’s just incredible to see how popular the Desert Dash has become; we have riders coming from all over the world now to test themselves in our desert. I am not sure why, because this is a bloody hard ride! It’s all in the landscape and the challenge. You are riding through a unique terrain, trying to beat the 24-hour clock.” One of those riders was European Mountain Bike Marathon Champion, Andreas Seewald, who managed to destroy his rear rim when riding at the front with a healthy 11-minute lead. Such is life in the Namib.

Entrants can choose to ride solo, covering all 401km by themselves, or in two-person or four-person relay teams. When asked what made the race so appealing, Heymans said there is nothing else like it on the calendar. “Riding through the desert at night is something incredibly special. You can’t really explain it. You have to do it. And I think that’s what so many people find exciting about the Desert Dash. It’s long. It’s tough. But where else can you do something like this? Only once you’ve been out in the desert all alone can you appreciate the beauty of this race.”

Allure
Women’s race winner Holtrup, who lives in Swakopmund, was riding her fifth Desert Dash, and her second solo effort. At Friday’s start in Windhoek, she said it was the challenge and the allure of the desert that enticed her to the Desert Dash.

“The first half is always hard for me, because I live on the coast and I don’t respond well to the heat or altitude of Windhoek,” she said. “But you have to be here if you ride a bike. It’s the best and biggest cycling event in Namibia, and I absolutely love the vibe. If you don’t do this ride, then you don’t have stories to tell, that’s why I am here.”

Namibian Cycling Federation president, Tauko Shilongo, was thrilled to see the buzz and excitement. “This is probably the biggest cycling event that we host in Namibia, and it’s just really incredible to see how it’s grown over the years – there are some riders here who weren’t even born when the first Desert Dash happened. That is testimony to the staying power of the race.”

Shilongo added that not only does it put Namibia on the map, but it’s also created cycling growth in the country. “We definitely see more and more young Namibians starting to ride, and I think having events like Desert Dash are important for development because it gives local riders something to aspire to. I have seen over the years how more local riders are taking on the Desert Dash challenge, and how the female participation has grown. These are all positive outcomes for Namibian cycling.”

Also in attendance at this year’s Desert Dash was Nedbank Chief Commercial Officer JG van Graan, participating in his fourth consecutive four-person relay race.

“I always think, you have to do these events while you are healthy and have the ability. It’s just a massive privilege to do something like this, to ride through the desert and take on a huge and hugely rewarding challenge. I am here to support the event, but also to enjoy myself and celebrate life. That’s what the Desert Dash is all about. It’s a tough race, whether you are doing the solo, two-person or four-person, but it’s incredibly special.”

From a sponsor’s point of view, Van Graan said Nedbank are immensely proud to be part of the Desert Dash. “Not only does the race create an opportunity for Namibian’s to explore their country, but it’s also led to growth in women’s cycling and definitely helped improve the diversity of cyclists in Namibia. We believe it is an event that not only transforms cycling in Namibia but also puts the country on the map as a sports tourism destination.”

Race Report
Coetzee drew on his extensive experience to win the 2025 title in a remarkable time of 14 hours, 13 minutes, and 32 seconds. Having started at The Grove Mall of Namibia, in Windhoek, the Namibian raced 401 kilometres through the night to reach the Platz Am Meer Waterfront, in Swakopmund, first of the 814 riders who took on the full distance. Holtrup stormed through the women’s field, after a difficult start to the race, to claim the crown as queen of the Nedbank Desert Dash in 2025.

The sheer length of the course, coupled with notoriously tough weather conditions and rough terrain at times, makes the race from Windhoek to Swakopmund one of the most iconic events on the global mountain biking calendar. As gravel bikes have become more capable, more riders have attempted to conquer the course on drop bar bikes, as was the case with Coetzee in 2025.

Others, like Andreas Seewald, chose to equip their mountain bikes with drop bars and time trial extensions to improve their efficiency into the headwind, which tends to blow from the coast inland during the Namibian summer. One might have expected Seewald’s equipment choice to prove more robust, but misfortune for the European Mountain Bike Marathon Champion, and experience in the difficult conditions ensured that the race played out in Coetzee’s favour.

Drikus Coetzee (far left) collaborated with Andreas Seewald (foreground) and Daniel Loubser (following) for the best part of 100 kilometres between Check Points 1 and 2. Photo by NUKA NUKA.

Race Report
Relatively cool weather, with the mercury never soaring into the mid-30s, light winds, and rain the previous evening in Windhoek all made for fast times over the opening kilometres. Seizing this opportunity and riding with the plan of putting his rivals on the back foot, Coetzee attacked early. “We had a deep field this year,” the champion stated. “I took it out in the first 10 kilometres, just to hurt the legs of the others, and then I got caught at 120 kays into the race.”

Behind Coetzee, Seewald had found allies in Martin Freyer and Daniel Loubser, for the first 93 kilometres, to Check Point 1. Thereafter, Freyer dropped off, while the German and the South African worked together to reduce the 2022 winner’s advantage on the road. “I decided to sit up because they [Seewald and Loubser] were only 2 and a half minutes behind me, and I’d gone out hard, so I needed to conserve a bit,” Coetzee recalled. “We worked together well until about 12 kilometres before halfway when Dan [Loubser] dropped from the group.”

Loubser would withdraw from the race soon thereafter with stomach difficulties, leaving Coetzee and Seewald as the only contenders for victory. “At about the 240 mark, on the sandy section, there was one piece I just couldn’t go through, and that was where Andreas [Seewald] got the gap. Thereafter, I had some difficulties with my stem coming loose, so my light wasn’t shining on the road anymore, and I had to stop, quickly, to fix that. Then the chase was on again…” Coetzee explained.

“I never backed down… which makes me proud of my ride and how I performed – regardless of the result.”

“I never backed down, and I took it out extremely hard today, which makes me proud of my ride and how I performed – regardless of the result,” he continued. “This is definitely not the way a sportsman would like to win, to be honest. I’d like to send my heartfelt condolences to Andreas [Seewald]… He was leading, but unfortunately, he experienced bad luck. I’ve had my bad luck here before, and I know that this race isn’t finished until it’s finished. As a sportsman, I can feel his pain right now.”

Coetzee was referencing Seewald’s mechanical while leading by 11 minutes inside the final 100 kilometres. “I was leading the race with a nice gap, at the pipeline, with about 80 kilometres to go when I destroyed my rear rim,” the German said. “There was a hole in the ground, which I saw way too late, and I had to try to jump over it. I wasn’t able to get my rear wheel over it, and I completely smashed the wheel, destroying the rim and the derailleur. So, there was no way to continue. I’m just happy that I didn’t crash. After coming second 9 years ago, it was looking good today, but now I guess I’ll have to come back again to try to win.”

Drikus Coetzee, of Hollard-Davin Trust driven by Indongo Toyota, used his Nedbank Desert Dash experience, a bold early move, and recent knowledge of the route following a reconnaissance ride the weekend before the race to win the 2025 title. Photo by NUKA NUKA.

Seewald’s mechanical put Coetzee back into the race lead, and from that moment all the Namibian had to do was reach the Platz Am Meer Waterfront finish line. Coetzee’s man’s winning margin was 94 minutes over Jacques Hanekom. Behind Coetzee, the battle for second was a close one, with just 2 seconds separating Hanekom and Freyer. This result was the closest across the solo categories, as well as the two-person and four-person relay competitions, but it was by no means the only fiercely contested battle for podium places.

In the men’s four-person relay competition, the CYMOT Racing team, of Daniel van der Walt, Blaine Kieck, Herman Fourie, and Marco Thiel, held off the Hollard and MBM teams by 128 seconds and 281 seconds, respectively. Only 73 seconds separated the Mannies Bike Mekka squad from Hollard Mixed in the tussle for Mixed category glory, in the four-rider relays. While Danzel de Koe and Andre Vermeulen, of Hollard Life, bested Alan Gordon and Allan Britnell, of Insect Science Sterk Span, by just 28 seconds in the two-person men’s relay category.

The Women’s Race

The women’s solo race was also a tightly contested affair. After dominating the second half of the route, Holtrup turned a 30-minute deficit, after 174 kilometres, into an 8-minute margin of victory. “I knew the first half would be hard, because I live on the coast and I don’t respond well to the heat or altitude of Windhoek,” the German who lives in Swakopmund confessed.

“I was like Pac-Man in the second half — I just kept catching one rival at a time.”

In the early kilometres, Yolande de Villiers set the tempo in the women’s race, only for Anri Greeff to take over the lead after Check Point 1, 93 kilometres in. Greeff would lead until the 350-kilometre mark, by which time Holtrup had reduced the deficit to 8 and a half minutes. “I was like Pac-Man in the second half,” Holtrup laughed. “I just caught one rival at a time and kept racing. I knew I’d get faster as we got closer to the coast, so I tried not to panic when I lost so much time on the first climb up Kupferberg Pass. I just kept taking salt tablets and eating, trusting that I’d be stronger later.”

Hollard 181’s Nina Holtrup stormed from fourth to first in the final 230 kilometres to seize the crown as queen of the 2025 Nedbank Desert Dash. Photo by NUKA NUKA.

Holtrup’s strength over the final 51 kilometres created a 17-and-a-half-minute swing on the time sheets to Greef, who had to settle for second. De Villiers completed the podium places, holding off the 2023 and 2024 winner, Belinda van Rhyn. The women’s two-person relay race was won by Michelle Doman and Marissa Mouton, of Food Lovers Market. The MBM team, of Jeanne Heunis, Monika Szczepan-Kruger, Luanne van der Schyff, and Genevieve Weber, won the women’s category in the four-person relay competition. Behind the MBM outfit, just 17 seconds separated the CYMOT Racing Women in second from the Megatech ILoveBoobies team in third.

The final victors of the 2025 Nedbank Desert Dash were Darien and JP du Toit. The Commitments took home the mixed category title in the two-person relay division.

2025 Nedbank Desert Dash Results

Solo Men’s Results:

1. Drikus Coetzee: Hollard-Davin Trust driven by Indongo Toyota (14:13:32)
2. Jacques Hanekom: Hollard Hearts (15:47:43 | +1:34:11)
3. Martin Freyer: CIOVITA (15:47:45 | +1:34:13)

Solo Women’s Results:

1. Nina Holtrup: Hollard 181 (17:00:04)
2. Anri Greeff: Hollard (17:08:22 | +8:18)
3. Yolande de Villiers: Team Benthin African Agencies (17:33:11 | +33:07)

Four Person Relay Results – Men’s Teams:

1. CYMOT Racing: Daniel van der. Walt, Blaine Kieck, Herman Fourie, & Marco Thiel (12:56:27)
2. Hollard: Theuns v.d. Westhuizen, Adrian Key, Roger Suren, & Ingram Cuff (12:58:35 | +2:08)
3. MBM: Daniel Abraham, Xavier Papo, Nathan Chase, & Christiaan van der Westhuizen (13:01:08 | +4:41)

Four Person Relay Results – Mixed Teams:

1. Mannies Bike Mekka: Delsia Janse van Vuuren, Mike Baartman, Theodor Janse van Vuuren, & Erin Mackridge (15:22:53)
2. Hollard Mixed: Louise Breed, Horst Neumann, Melissa Hinz, & Vernon Maresch (15:24:06 | +1:13)
3. Megatech Mixed: Bianca Nell, Morne Nell, Julius Braun, & Christilee Jansen (16:03:34 | +40:41

Four Person Relay Results – Women’s Teams:

1. MBM: Jeanne Heunis, Monika Szczepan-Kruger, Luanne van der Schyff, & Genevieve Weber (16:16:08)
2. CYMOT Racing: Christal Freyer, Nicola Sauber, Rosemarie Thiel, & Jaen-Marie Mostert (16:39:05 | +30:57)
3. Megatech ILoveBoobies: Corli de Bruyn, Almari de Milander, Jan v. Backstrom, Jana van Dyk (16:39:22 | +31:14)

Two Person Relay Results – Men’s Teams:

1. Hollard Life: Danzel de Koe & Andre Vermeulen (15:08:22)
2. Insect Science Sterk Span: Alan Gordon & Allan Britnell (15:08:50 | +28)
3. CYMOT Racing: Murray Koch & Marcel Henle (15:22:19 | +13:57)

Two Person Relay Results – Mixed Teams:

1. The Commitments: Darien & JP du Toit (17:35:25)

Two Person Relay Results – Women’s Teams:

1. Food Lovers Market: Michelle Doman & Marissa Mouton (17:21:02)

For the full results from the 2025 Nedbank Desert Dash, click here.

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