Terwyl Hank McGregor Donderdag ‘n byna onaantasbare voorsprong opgebou het op Dag 2 van die Bergrivier-kanomarathon, het Jenna Nisbet ‘n “gelukkige fout” benut om beheer oor die vrouewedren te neem.
Die dertienmalige wenner McGregor het sy reeds groot oornagvoorsprong op die verkorte 30 km-skof van Gouda na Bridgetown uitgebrei, en geniet nou ‘n ontsaglike voorsprong van net minder as 10 minute bo die jong o.23 Sam Butcher.
Die Robert Herreveld (53) en Siseko Ntondini is onderskeidelik nege en 35 sekondes verder agter, met Vrydag se lang 76 km-koninginskof na Zoutkloof wat voorlê.
Die wedloop vir die top vyf is omgekeer met die 2024-wenner Thomas Lovemore wat Anders Hart ingehaal en verbygesteek het om vyfde oor te neem, terwyl Paul Marais nie te ver in die sesde plek is nie.
Fase 2 is verkort weens veiligheidsoorwegings en vrese dat die verlies van die moeilike 16 km-skof van Zonquasdrift na Gouda die wedrenne sou benadeel, is verkeerd bewys. Dit was veral waar in die vrouewedren, waar Jenna Nisbet aanvanklik gedink het sy maak ‘n rampspoedige fout. Dit het egter as ‘n onverwagte wenfout uitgedraai.
Nadat hulle ‘n paar sekondes agter die oornagleier Nix Birkett weggespring het, het die paar in ‘n groep met ‘n paar manlike roeiers gevestig geraak en was alles aanvanklik kalm.
“Ons het in ‘n lekker groep van vyf begin, maar by die eerste stroomversnelling, wat omtrent vyf kilometer in die wedren was, het ek uitgespin en iemand het oor my gegaan,” het Nisbet, ‘n tweemalige wedrenwenner in 2013 en 2022, gesê. “Ek het gedink dit was die einde van die wedren toe ek kontak met Nikki en die ander deel van die groep verloor het.
“Gelukkig was ek saam met ‘n ou genaamd John (de Villiers), wat die rivier baie goed ken … en dit het eintlik in ons guns gewerk dat ons albei kontak met die groep verloor het, want hy het ongelooflike kennis van die rivier gehad en ons deur ‘n paar kanale geneem wat beslis vrugte afgewerp het.
“Ek het Nix nooit weer gesien tot die einde nie. Ek dink sy moes ‘n bietjie verdwaal het of in ‘n boom of iets vasgesit het, en ek het haar verbygesteek sonder om haar te sien.
“Ek was bly dat ek ‘n ‘skoon’ dag gehad het en dat ek John met goeie lyne kon volg en soveel as moontlik energie kon bespaar, want môre is ‘n groot dag. Al het ek ‘n lekker voorsprong oor Nix, kan dit môre baie vinnig oor 76 km verdwyn.
“Môre (Vrydag) gaan ek beslis net my bes doen om aan haar vas te klou, maar sy is supersterk op die plat bane en ek weet sy gaan môre hard roei – so dit gaan ‘n baie moeilike dag wees, dink ek.”
Nisbet is nou agt minute voor Birkett, met Neriyah Dill derde, drie minute verder agter. Bianca Beavitt en Rachel van Deventer voltooi die top vyf.
Goeie nuus vir diegene wat die vordering van “Oom” dophou, Jannie Malherbe was bly om te sien hoe hy Dag 2 voltooi, en die driemalige wedrenwenner is steeds op pad om die enigste persoon te word wat ‘n merkwaardige 52 Bergrivier-kano-marathons voltooi het.
Alle roeiers begin Vrydag saam met die 76 km-roei na Zoutkloof, die tradisionele wedrenbeslisser – hoewel die kort 30 km-roei vanjaar die boonste trappie van die podium in beide die vroue- en manswedrenne gesorteer het.
RESULTATE (onder algehele posisie, naam, algehele tyd (dag 1, dag 2)
Mans
1 Hank McGregor 6:18:59 (4:14:44, 2:04:14)
2 Sam Butcher 6:28:22 (4:20:26, 2:07:55)
3 Robert Herreveld 6:28:31 (4:20:25, 2:08:05)
4 Siseko Ntondini 6:28:58 (4:20:27, 2:08:31)
5 Thomas Lovemore 6:34:11 (4:25:08, 2:09:02)
6 Anders Hart 6:35:07 (4:22:13, 2:12:54)
7 Paul Marais 6:35:55 (4:25:09, 2:10:45)
8 Matthew Coetzer 6:37:48 (4:29:42, 2:08:06)
9 Dyllan Farrell 6:37:49 (4:29:42, 2:08:06)
10 Heinrich Schloms 6:38:31 (4:27:48, 2:10:42)
Vroue
1 Jenna Nisbet 6:57:27 (4:40:02, 2:17:24)
2 Nix Birkett 7:05:18 (4:39:54, 2:25:23)
3 Neriyah Dill 7:09:27 (4:46:15, 2:23:12)
4 Bianca Beavitt 7:31:14 (5:01:36, 2:29:38)
5 Rachel van Deventer 7:36:34 (5:06:55, 2:29:39)
Meer inligting kan gevind word by https://berg.org.za/
ENGLISH VERSION
Lucky mistake leads to big lead at Berg River Canoe Marathon
As Hank McGregor built an almost unassailable lead on Day 2 of the Berg River Canoe Marathon on Thursday, Jenna Nisbet was capitalising on a “lucky mistake” to take control of the women’s race.
13-time winner McGregor added to his already big overnight lead on the shortened 30km stage from Gouda to Bridgetown, and now enjoys a daunting advantage of just under 10 minutes over young U23 Sam Butcher. 53-year-old Robert Herreveld and Siseko Ntondini are nine and 35 seconds further back, respectively, with Friday’s long 76km queen stage to Zoutkloof looming.
The race for the top five was switched around with 2024 winner Thomas Lovemore catching and passing Anders Hart to take over fifth, while Paul Marais is not too far off the pace in sixth.
Stage 2 was shortened due to safety concerns and fears that the loss of the tricky 16km stretch from Zonquasdrift to Gouda would nullify the racing, were proved wrong. This was particularly true in the women’s race, where Jenna Nisbet made what she initially thought was a disastrous error, which could turn out to be an unexpected race-winning mistake.
After starting a handful of seconds behind overnight leader Nix Birkett, the pair settled into a group with some male paddlers, and all was calm initially. “We started in a nice group of five, but at the first rapid, which was about five kilometres into the race, I spun out and someone went over me,” said Nisbet, a two-time race winner in 2013 and 2022. “I thought it was the end of the race when I lost contact with Nikki and the other part of the group.
“Thankfully, I was with a guy named John (de Villiers), who knows the river very well … and it actually worked in our favour that we both lost contact with the group, because he had some unbelievable knowledge of the river and took us down some channels which definitely paid off.
“I never saw Nix again until the end. I think she must have gotten a bit lost or stuck in a tree or something, and I passed her without seeing her. “I was happy to have had a clean day and to have been able to follow John down some good lines and conserve energy as much as possible, because tomorrow is a big day. Even though I have a nice lead over Nix, that can disappear very quickly over 76km tomorrow.
“Tomorrow (Friday) I am definitely just going to do my best to hang on to her, but she is super strong on the flats and I know she’s gonna be going hard tomorrow – so it’s going to be a very tough day, I think.”
Nisbet is now eight minutes ahead of Birkett, with Neriyah Dill third, three minutes further back. Bianca Beavitt and Rachel van Deventer complete the top five.
Good news for those watching the progress of “Oom” Jannie Malherbe was happy to see him finish Day 2, and the three-time race winner is still on his way to becoming the only person to complete a remarkable 52 Berg River Canoe Marathons.
All paddlers start together on Friday with the 76km paddle to Zoutkloof, the traditional race decider – although this year the short 30km blast seems to have sorted the top step of the podium in both the women’s and men’s races.
LEADING RESULTS
(under overall position, name, overall time (day 1, day 2)
Men
1 Hank McGregor 6:18:59 (4:14:44, 2:04:14)
2 Sam Butcher 6:28:22 (4:20:26, 2:07:55)
3 Robert Herreveld 6:28:31 (4:20:25, 2:08:05)
4 Siseko Ntondini 6:28:58 (4:20:27, 2:08:31)
5 Thomas Lovemore 6:34:11 (4:25:08, 2:09:02)
6 Anders Hart 6:35:07 (4:22:13, 2:12:54)
7 Paul Marais 6:35:55 (4:25:09, 2:10:45)
8 Matthew Coetzer 6:37:48 (4:29:42, 2:08:06)
9 Dyllan Farrell 6:37:49 (4:29:42, 2:08:06)
10 Heinrich Schloms 6:38:31 (4:27:48, 2:10:42)
Women
1 Jenna Nisbet 6:57:27 (4:40:02, 2:17:24)
2 Nix Birkett 7:05:18 (4:39:54, 2:25:23)
3 Neriyah Dill 7:09:27 (4:46:15, 2:23:12)
4 Bianca Beavitt 7:31:14 (5:01:36, 2:29:38)
5 Rachel van Deventer 7:36:34 (5:06:55, 2:29:39)
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