Victor Campaenaerts wins race in Namibia and donates prize money to charity

Victor Campenaerts, the Hour Record holder, has won a race in Namibia and donated the prize money to charity.

The NTT rider has been in the African country for six weeks at a training camp and took part in the Nedbank Cycle Challenge, a 100km race in the capital city of Windhoek.

Campenaerts broke away from the field early, and crossed the line in just over two hours, finishing eight minutes ahead of the next closest competitor.

The prize money for first plae was 12,000 Namibian dollars, a little more than £600, and the Belgian decided to donate the money to charity.

Explaining his decision to put his rivals to the sword, Campenaerts told the Namibian: "I knew the Nedbank Cycle Challenge had some good prize money, so I decided to go all out for the win, so now I will donate my prize money to PAY." Physically Active Youth (PAY), is a Namibian organisation that gets kids active in cycling after school hours.

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"I was confident that they would not catch me, because I'm one of the best time trialists in the world and I'm also the fastest man over one hour so I was just riding my own pace and making sure that I won, so that I could donate the money," Campenaerts said.

"I just went super hard on the climb and it seemed nobody could keep up with my pace and from there on I just needed a long solo effort."

Campenaerts will begin his 2020 season, and first race for NTT, at the UAE Tour on February 23. After that, the Belgian has the Tour de Romandie and the Giro d'Italia confirmed in his schedule, and will also decide between either Paris-Nice or Tirreno-Adriatico for March.

NTT, who were called Dimension Data, have a new team manager this season, Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis.

The Dane has also acquired a minority share in the team through Virtu Cycling, the company he co-owns. Riis admitted in 2017 he had taken performance-enhancing drugs EPO, growth hormone and steroids, including during his Tour victory.

Reacting to the Riis' appointment, Campenaerts told Het Nieuwsblad: "He will be an asset to the team. I am not worried about his past. NTT is as sacred as the pope on a medical level."