{"id":327943,"date":"2025-12-21T10:03:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-21T10:03:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/327943\/"},"modified":"2025-12-21T10:03:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-21T10:03:13","slug":"riding-the-uci-gravel-world-series-in-namibia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/327943\/","title":{"rendered":"Riding the UCI Gravel World Series in Namibia"},"content":{"rendered":"

The gravel road is empty, spooling towards the horizon as far as I can see. The air is the driest I\u2019ve breathed, the sun is hot and the altitude high. We\u2019re still in winter, they claim, not yet spring \u2013 how can it be? Racing through the emptiness, my heart rate stays annoyingly high, my power annoyingly low. I\u2019ve not had enough time to adapt to the conditions since landing, and I\u2019m on the back foot. My body is on autopilot, going through the motions to get to the finish line.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m in Namibia, in southwest Africa, taking part in the UCI Gravel World Series. The race situation \u2013 struggling, hanging on \u2013 is familiar, but the setting is unlike anything I\u2019ve seen before. While my legs are churning around near-automatically, my eyes are continually distracted by wildlife: baboons, oryx and springboks. It\u2019s like riding through a David Attenborough documentary. After nearly five hours of torrid racing, I cross the line in sixth place, 18 minutes adrift of the winner, Namibia\u2019s reigning national road race champion Alex Miller.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How I ended up here owes much to my change in cycling mindset three years ago. When it became clear I wasn\u2019t going to accomplish my dream of turning pro while still in the U23 ranks, I promised myself I\u2019d continue racing \u2013 by saying yes to every opportunity. If I wasn\u2019t going to race the Tour de France<\/a>, I was at least going to travel the world and race everywhere else. So, when the prospect of Namibia was put to me, there was only one possible answer. On paper, it was a race, but more importantly it was a week-long adventure. I\u2019d never been to Africa, and this was as good an excuse as any.<\/p>\n

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Namibia is three-and-a-half times the size of the UK but has 67 million fewer people, a population of just 3.1 million. It borders Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east, South Africa to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Out on the road, it\u2019s hard to imagine reaching a border \u2013 no end is ever in sight and the sheer scale is baffling. It\u2019s one of the emptiest countries on Earth, and that emptiness makes for a unique cycling experience.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Gravel\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Nuka Nuka)<\/p>\n

Touching down at Hosea Kutako International Airport, some 45km east of Namibia\u2019s capital, Windhoek, I got an immediate taste of what was to come. The airport itself was tiny, and the 40-minute taxi ride to the city revealed vast swathes of nothingness. I could tell this place was unlike anywhere I\u2019d been before. The time in Namibia aligns with central Europe, so although it\u2019s a long flight, there is little risk of jetlag. Starting a bike tour from Windhoek makes sense: there\u2019s the nearby airport and decent infrastructure, as this is where almost 15% of the population lives. It\u2019s an extremely safe place to visit and, given the lack of traffic, almost everywhere is suitable for touring by bike. Though the flat expanses can feel boring in a car, on a bike the spaciousness is liberating.<\/p>\n

My unofficial tour guide for the week is Dan Craven, a born-and-bred Namibian and six-time national road race champion. Dan raced in the UK with Rapha-Condor from 2009\u20132011, before graduating into the WorldTour with Europcar in 2014. He retired in 2020. We first met in our adopted home city of Girona<\/a>, Spain, and we\u2019ve stayed in touch ever since. For years he\u2019d been telling me I needed to explore his country. With Dan as prospective guide and a UCI World Series race on the calendar, no further encouragement was needed.<\/p>\n

We have two other guides: husband and wife Martin and Chrystal Freyer. Martin is a multi national champion in almost every discipline, and he and Chrystal have bikepacked across the world. Having them with us brings yet more local knowledge \u2013 I was going to get a real insight into Namibia from three people who really know it.<\/p>\n

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Chrystal follows in a support truck, which allows us to ride without luggage on our bikes and throw caution to the wind when it comes to route-planning. With so few places to stop for supplies, touring Namibia without a support vehicle would be challenging at best.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Gravel\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Nuka Nuka)<\/p>\n

Ahead of the adventure, Dan had warned me that you have to pre-plan in Namibia. You can go hours without being able to get water, and the tar roads have to be avoided by bike. My trip began with the Khomas100 UCI race, which took us from Windhoek some 160km north to the edge of Okahandja. The gravel roads between the two cities roll up and down for as far as the eye can see, passing through not a single settlement.<\/p>\n

We have four days of touring planned, and the first, the day after the race, takes place on gravel trails more like farm tracks than roads. Even the few local riders who have joined us are in new territory. Hours pass without seeing a car; the endless terrain rolls past, becoming more and more sandy. Crossing one of many dried-up river beds, I approach too fast and somersault over the handlebars. My body is fine, bar a small cut on my shoulder, but a part of my pride remains in that Namibian river bed.<\/p>\n

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Our destination for the first night is Omaruru, Dan\u2019s hometown. It\u2019s an arduous six-hour ride on legs already tired from the race. The final few kilometres are ridden on tarmac, which feels like a red carpet after all the sand.<\/p>\n

The Onguza Bicycles workshop is our headquarters for the night. This has been the hub of Dan\u2019s life since leaving behind European racing, producing handbuilt steel bikes that he hopes to export across the world. Seeing the process in person is mesmerising. Everything measured, filed, and built by hand.<\/p>\n

Rather than sleeping in the workshop, we spend the night under the Omaruru stars, camping in a riverbed on the edge of town. It\u2019s like being in a Top Gear special as our convoy of cars heads into the farmland and Dan\u2019s Land Rover gets stuck in the sand. Our tents are barely up as the sun drops behind the mountains. Sitting around the campfire in this riverbed in Namibia feels a million miles away from, well, everywhere.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Joe\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Nuka Nuka)<\/p>\n

Namibia\u2019s modern history has been shaped by colonial rule. From the late 19th century, the country was under German rule. After World War One it was ruled by South Africa and was known as South West Africa. This meant it was subjected to apartheid until gaining independence in 1990. The legacies of that past are still visible. Leaving Omaruru the next morning, our route passes through a township of tin shacks and sandy yards. The divide isn\u2019t as glaring as in some neighbouring countries, but it\u2019s unmistakable. The legacy of segregation runs deep.<\/p>\n

The next day is anything but plain sailing. We ride 50km and call it a day at Erongo Rocks \u2013 50 of the roughest kilometres I\u2019ve ridden in my life. The washboard surface is miserable to ride across, with not a single smooth kilometre. Our grand plan of nearing the coast is thwarted by an average speed almost 40% slower than planned. Entering the campsite, a sign warns of rhinos \u2013 another reminder that you don\u2019t come to Namibia just for the riding. The campsite gives me a new perspective on the phrase middle of nowhere. We speed-hike up to the top of the Erongo rocks to take in the sunset over the savannah \u2013 the most epic I\u2019ve ever seen.<\/p>\n

Being so far from anywhere, there\u2019s little light pollution, and the Milky Way is visible as I\u2019ve never seen it before, a brilliant spectacle. Around the campfire, the evening ends with a braai, the Afrikaans word for barbeque. It\u2019s a ritual that encompasses collecting the firewood, building the fire, huddling around it for warmth and, of course, eating. The air may be hot and dry in the day, but the moment the sun drops, it turns cold. With the campfire as our centrepiece, we eat and chat into the night.<\/p>\n

Riding in Namibia reminds me why I first started riding bikes: not just the novelty of being here, but the strangeness, feeling so small in this vast landscape \u2013 nothing and no one around to notice my presence. To pass through unnoticed feels like floating in space, and so far away from my normal chaos of chasing race results. Riding here is not about distance, speed or power, but something rawer and realer.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Gravel\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Nuka Nuka)<\/p>\n

Floating is even more apt on our final day, as it takes us to Moon Valley, near the coastal town of Swakopmund \u2013 a place that retains a German flavour from colonial times. The valley is a breathtaking lunar landscape, hundreds of little hills packed close together \u2013 a bike park created by nature. There\u2019s a childlike thrill, each choosing our own course, going up and down natural banks, flowing in and out of nature\u2019s haphazard trails.<\/p>\n

Namibia\u2019s vast, open landscapes leave me with an altered sense of cycling and why it matters to me. It\u2019s no longer about racing, mileage or even the bike itself. It\u2019s about space \u2013 the kind that slows you down, makes you look around, and forces you to accept how small you really are. Our trip ends with the long drive from Swakopmund back to Windhoek. The car is quiet; everyone\u2019s spent. It\u2019s been anything but a normal racing trip, and it\u2019s one I\u2019ll never forget. As we leave, a strange nostalgia settles in \u2013 as if I\u2019m saying goodbye to a part of cycling I hadn\u2019t realised I\u2019d needed to find.<\/p>\n

How to get there and where to stay<\/p>\n

How to get there
Flights from London cost \u00a3800\u2013\u00a31,200 return and take around 15 hours, often including a layover in Addis Ababa, Johannesburg or Frankfurt. A tourist visa (\u00a365), completed and paid online or with local currency on arrival, is required to enter Namibia.<\/p>\n

Where to stay
Plan your route carefully between Windhoek and Swakopmund \u2013 it\u2019s the best area for gravel riding and has the most reliable infrastructure, though accommodation can be sparse. Campsites and basic lodges start around N$500\u20131,000 (\u00a320\u201345) per night, while mid-range guesthouses and safari lodges cost N$1,500\u20132,500 (\u00a360\u2013120).<\/p>\n

When to travel
The best time to ride is May to September, during Namibia\u2019s dry winter \u2013 clear skies, cooler days and little rain. Summer (October\u2013March) brings heat, wind and occasional storms.<\/p>\n

Touring by bike
A handful of trip operators run cycling tours in Namibia. If doing it self-supported, it\u2019s strongly advised to ride in a small group and hire a vehicle, which gives the option to be flexible with plans and take turns riding. Many roads are rough. I rode an Enve Mog with 50mm tyres and would not advise anything narrower.<\/p>\n

Vaccinations, currency and communications
Consult your GP at least eight weeks before travel. Vaccinations depend on your itinerary and flight layovers. The Namibian dollar is pegged to the South African rand. Carry some cash, although card payment is widely accepted. Buying a local SIM card at the airport is recommended, as e-sims do not work in Namibia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The gravel road is empty, spooling towards the horizon as far as I can see. The air is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":327944,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4985,101,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-327943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-cycling","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/327943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=327943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/327943\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/327944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=327943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=327943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=327943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}