Thiel, Greeff win N$250,000 cycling titles
Roger Surén and Anri Greeff claimed the headline 100 km victories at the Hollard Hearts Foundation Cycling Festival in Windhoek on Sunday, while Marco Thiel and Greeff secured the inaugural Hollard Grand Prix Series titles, each carrying a N$250,000 winner’s prize.
Supported by its main financial sponsors, Hollard and Standard Bank Namibia, the festival combined competitive cycling, family participation and support for the Hollard Hearts Foundation’s community initiatives.
The event concluded the five-round Grand Prix Series after a season spanning mountain biking, gravel and road racing. With double championship points available at the finale, Sunday’s results decided the overall standings.
Surén takes the men’s 100 km honours:
Surén topped the preliminary men’s 100 km results in 2:25:38, finishing 11 seconds ahead of Christiaan van der Westhuizen in 2:25:49. HB Kruger completed the podium in 2:26:49.
Marco Thiel finished fourth in 2:26:50, immediately ahead of Martin Freyer in 2:26:51. The result secured Thiel’s overall Grand Prix title, completing a campaign built on victories at the opening Moonlandscape and Friedenau mountain bike events.
Thiel ended the series with 89 points, followed by Freyer on 63 and Ingram Cuff on 58.
Greeff claims race victory and series title:
The women’s 100 km race produced a closely contested finish, with the first four riders separated by just one second in their recorded elapsed times.
Greeff was classified first in 2:45:04, ahead of Rosemarie Thiel, who recorded the same time. Louise Breed secured third in 2:45:05, with Catherine Kruger fourth in the same recorded time. Vera Looser finished fifth in 2:45:57.
The victory capped Greeff’s Grand Prix campaign, taking her final total to 141 points. Rosemarie Thiel finished second overall on 81, while Catherine Kruger and Vera Looser each recorded 80 points.
Prize money with a lasting impact:
For Greeff and Thiel, the N$250,000 series winner’s prize each represents a potentially life-changing financial boost. It offers greater scope to invest in training, equipment and competition opportunities, while easing some of the financial pressures associated with pursuing the sport.
Beyond recognising their performances throughout the season, the prize money can help them plan their next steps and pursue future cycling ambitions.
The combined advertised prize allocation for the Grand Prix Series and the Cycling Festival was N$770,000, comprising N$620,000 for the series podiums and N$150,000 for the festival.
Cycling with purpose:
Based around the Namibia Cricket Grounds in Olympia, with routes using the Hage Geingob highway, the festival connected its sporting programme with the work of the Hollard Hearts Foundation.
The foundation supports environmental conservation, the elderly, youth empowerment and emerging community needs across Namibia. The event provided a platform to promote these causes while encouraging broader participation in cycling.
The support of Hollard and Standard Bank Namibia helped bring together a festival that accommodated both championship ambitions and the enjoyment of riding.
Sunday’s finale concluded a Grand Prix season that began at Moonlandscape in April and continued through Friedenau, the Na/a’an ku sê gravel event and Khomas100 before finishing on Windhoek’s roads.
For Greeff, the final round delivered both the women’s race victory and the overall series title. For Thiel, fourth place in the men’s race secured the reward for a consistent season across disciplines—with both champions earning financial support that could make a meaningful difference to their futures.
