Race leaders Hank McGregor and Jenna Nisbet both overcame
drama on the technical second stage from Delsma to Bridgetown to retain their
leads in the Berg River Canoe Marathon.
McGregor started with a slim lead over Under 23 Uli Hart, and they worked well
together to keep chasers Simon van Gysen and Wayne Jacobs at bay, racing on a
good river level on a second consecutive day of warm, windless mid-winter
weather conditions.
The thick tree blocks that characterised the 48 kilometre stage to the
headwaters of Misverstand dam allowed McGregor and Hart to get away at the
front, with McGregor winning the Virgin Active bridge prize at Gouda.
However at Ysterpen the pair encountered a massive tree block and took very
different lines to deal with it. While Hart struggled to get under the trees,
McGregor ran to the bank to portage around the tree block, and once he returned
to the river he did not know where Hart was.
“I took the chance and portaged and fell into the river because the bank
was so steep,” said McGregor.
“After taking a swim I just started to chase because I thought I was about
two minutes behind. On the long straights I timed it and I couldn’t see him.
“I was just hoping for the best, hoping that he was behind me. I only knew
when I came across the line that I had won the stage.
“That’s the Berg,” he added. “It’s never over till it’s
over.”
The ever-consistent Van Gysen raced much of the stage alone and consolidated
his third place ahead of the determined Jacobs.
Jenna Nisbet started the women’s race with a three minute lead over defending
champion Nikki Birkett, but needed to keep calm as she saw that lead erased in
a moment of high drama at a tree block early on in the stage.
“When I got to the first tree block I did exactly what I shouldn’t have
done and messed it up,” said Nisbet.
“I managed to follow Graeme Solomon and Robbie Herreveld, who caught me at
the tree block, and I followed them for the next seven kilometres.
“Then I got stuck in a tree block and Nikki Birkett came past me running a
portage on the side, and I panicked a bit,” said Nisbet.
“I had to stay calm and when I got to Gouda bridge I heard that she was
two minutes behind. I was cautious in the section from Gouda to Train Bridge
because I haven’t checked it out before, but after Train Bridge I knew where I
was and had a good clean day from there,” said Nisbet.
“It was a really tough day because I wasn’t sure how to pace myself,”
she added, delighted to learnt that her overnight lead had ballooned to over
five and a half minutes.
Birkett remains solidly in second with Melanie van Niekerk retaining the small
step on the women’s podium.
The days biggest mover was the metronomic Heinrich Schloms who leapfrogged
three places up the leaderboard to eighth.
Ian Hemmingway is the leading junior in twenty seventh place overall.
The signature third stage is the longest stage on the domestic racing calendar
and spans 75 kilometres from Bridgetown to Zoutkloof, started in batches rather
than elapsed time.
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
BERG MARATHON STAGE TWO
1. Hank McGregor 4:10:57 8:26:53
2. Uli Hart 4:12:06 8:28:24
3. Simon van Gysen 4:15:26 8:32:20
4. Wayne Jacobs 4:18:08 8:36:07
5. Graeme Solomon 4:19:09 8:41:58
6. Robbie Herreveld 4:17:41 8:41:58
7. Jeremy Maher 4:22:57 8:48:00
8. Heinrich Schloms 4:29:16 9:00:51
9. Daniel Jacobs 4:34:22 9:02:03
10. Sam Butcher 4:39:26 9:04:32
WOMEN
1. Jenna Nisbet 4:40:40 9:24:35
2. Nix Birkett 4:42:52 9:30:04
3. Melanie Van Niekerk 4:49:44 9:56:16
4. Christy Shrimpton 5:08:26 10:19:14
5. Tracey Oellermann 5:10:01 10:20:50
