MacGregor defends Berg title on foot
2006-07-20
HIS strength as a sprinter and sprint paddler secured Hank McGregor victory in the 2006 Isuzu Berg River Canoe Marathon in Velddrif on Saturday.
The defending champion started the final 10km time trial nine seconds ahead of Paarl’s Gert van Deventer.
The race was halted 10km from the finish where the paddlers had to portage to a rest stop at Kliphoek. From there they were restarted based on their overall elapsed time. It was at this portage that McGregor built-up that precious nine second lead.
A determined McGregor showed a similar form to that which won him the World Marathon Championships in 2004, as he continued to pull away from van Deventer over the final stretch.
“I’m very stoked with the win,” McGregor said. “Everything just seemed to go as I had hoped it would. Sven (Bruss), Gert, Paul (Marais) and myself got into a group fairly early up front and just worked together like we did yesterday.
“My plan was to maintain my position up until the portage and then to try and get a slight lead over Gert,” McGregor explained his strategy.
“I lost the race on the portage,” admitted a disappointed van Deventer, who breathed down McGregor’s neck during the three previous stages.
“My only chance was to try and catch Hank after the re-start and try and hang onto his slip wave. I went really hard and managed to get within four seconds of him but I just couldn’t catch up.
“It’s no sin to lose to Hank though,” he added. “Over this distance I don’t think there is anyone in the world who can beat him.
“I’m obviously a little disappointed. It would’ve been nice to win, especially after taking this whole year off to focus on canoeing, but overall I’m happy with second place,” said the paddler from the Maties Canoe Club.
An overjoyed Paul Marais finished in third place.
“This is the first time I’ve been on the podium in nine years so I’m really stoked,” he said.
Peninsula Canoe Club paddler, Abbey Miedema, won the women’s category in a time of 04:56,14 and finished 24th overall. It is the second time in her career that she could claim a Berg title.
The top ten results are 1. Hank McGregor (17:39,54), 2. Gert van Deventer (17:42,04), 3. Paul Marais (17:50,05), 4. Sven Bruss (18:02,33), 5. Chris van Deventer (18:22.37), 6. Edgar Boehm Jnr (18:22,38), 7. Ernest van Riet (18:25), 8. Lance King (18:36,32), 9. Ryno Armdorf (18:42,35), 10. Heinrich Schloms (18:45,44).
Women: 1. Abbey Miedema 19:04,07, 2. Kirsty van der Merwe (21:40,57), 3. Jo-Anne Hay (21:46,22). Juniors: 1. (21) Pierre-André Rabie
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