International cyclists Vera Looser and Alex Miller have expressed their satisfaction with their results at the maiden edition of the International Cycling Union (UCI) Cycling World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.
The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships are being held from 03 to 13 August 2023, with all the major cycling disciplines such as road cycling, BMX, mountain biking, track cycling and Para disciplines staged alongside the able-bodied competition.
Eight cyclists are representing Namibia in the mountain and road cycling events at the championships.
Looser, who has won several accolades for Namibia, had an impressive ride in the women’s mountain bike marathon cross-country, where she finished in seventh place.
Meanwhile Miller, who has also won bronze in the 2022 Commonwealth Games cross-country event, finished in 30th place over 108 kilometres in muddy, rainy conditions.
In an interview with Nampa on Tuesday, Looser said she prepared well for this marathon, but could only manage seventh place on the day.
“I wanted to do well for Namibia. I wanted to put my country on the map and was hoping for a much better finish than seventh position, but it did not happen. I am still happy with my achievements because there is room for improvement,” she said.
The well-travelled cyclist added that she is currently back home where she is training, and has several international competitions planned for this year.
Meanwhile, Miller told this agency on Wednesday that finishing 30th at the World Championships is an achievement he is happy with.
“The conditions were not as much as in Namibia, but I felt smooth on the bike and handled the race well. To finish 30th in the world is not too bad as it’s my first marathon at the world champs,” he said, adding that competing in the world championships in cross-country allowed him to see what he can improve on.
Miller said getting good results is something that takes a lot of hard work and a long time to achieve.
“I finished third in Africa which is positive, since the highest-ranked African cyclist at the world championships, Alan Hatherly from South Africa, placed 20th, and he is also the victor of the Cape Epic. His teammate Matt Beers secured the 22nd position. These results show how tough the competition is,” Miller stated.
Namibian cyclists competing at the UCI World Championships are Looser, Monique du Plessis, Eden Spangenberg, and Melissa Hinz, while their male counterparts are Miller, Daniel Hahn, Hugo Hahn, and Kevin Lowe.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency