Canoeing | Wily old master and the young gun locked together at the Berg
BRIDGETOWN – The wily old master and the young gun worked together to turn the 2024 Berg River Canoe Marathon into a two-horse race on the second stage on Thursday.
Six-time winner, 52-year-old Velddrif local Robbie Herreveld, and Knysna's Tom Lovemore started the second stage side by side and then worked together to build a commanding 15-minute lead over their nearest rivals in the 46km second stage from Zonquasdrift to Bridgetown.
Jeremy Maher was the big mover on the second day of the 2024 Berg River Canoe Marathon and moved up from sixth to third overall.
In the race for the final podium spot, Jeremy Maher was the big winner as he moved through the field from sixth to end up third, just over a minute ahead of Paarl's Heinrich Schloms. KZN's Msawenkosi Mtolo dropped from third to sit in fifth, almost two minutes back from Maher, going into the penultimate stage on Friday.
Neriyah Dill produced a superb stage two of the Berg River Canoe Marathon and closed up six minutes on the leader Stephanie Von der Heyde.
In the women's race, Stephanie von der Heyde still holds a relatively comfortable five-minute lead over 18-year-old Neriyah Dill, but the youngster whittled away six minutes of the overnight advantage on Thursday. The means the race is close enough that the winner is far from settled and the long 76km drag from Bridgetown to Zoutkloof is likely to be the decider.
"Oom Jannie" Malherbe finished Day 2 of the Berg River Canoe Marathon on Thursday and remains on course for his 51st race finish to equal the record of the most Berg finishes.
There is a good chance the winner could be determined by whichever group the two leaders are able to latch onto after the start, and Dill is sure be hoping for a quick getaway and then a long day hanging on to a faster group than Von der Heyde.
Tayla Isaac is currently third, 38 minutes behind Von der Heyde.
Herreveld was philisophical and slightly bemused to be back in contention for a seventh win, more than 30 years after he won in 1991 as a fresh-faced 19-year-old to become the youngest winner in the race's history. Ironically, if he wins this year, Herreveld will also hold the record as the oldest winner, surpassing Hank McGregor who was 45 when he won last year.
"I don't know what's happening really," said Herreveld as he recovered at home in Velddrif after Stage Two. "I wasn't expecting to be up there with the leaders to be honest. I was sort of expecting somewhere between fifth and eighth, but I'm not complaining – it just puts a little bit more pressure on me.
"It was a great day for us and we just worked together. There were lots of trees in the first hour and there was a lot of things that were catching us out. I would get stuck in a tree and Tom would help me through, and then I'd get through a tree block quicker than him and I'd wait for him instead of trying to make a break.
"In fact the whole way down we pretty much worked together. It was good clean racing and very different from the old school racing on the second stage when it was just a day that you got worked over. So it was actually a great day ... I mean I can say I am tired now, and tomorrow is a long day and that is always a bit of a bit of a challenge just to survive.
"But I really had no intention of being in this position – my training has just been long stuff you know. I don't do any speed work at all, or stuff like that. My training is a bit of as-and-when, there is not a scheduled programme like I used to have."
At the wrong side of 50, Herreveld may not be as intensely competitive as he was in his 20s, but he is almost halfway toward what would be surely the most remarkable victory in South African canoeing – although Tom Lovemore will be doing everything in his power to prevent that.
Selected Results
Pos, name, overall time
1 Thomas Lovemore 8:32:57.85
2 Robert Herreveld 8:32:58.53
3 Jeremy Maher 8:48:03.18a
4 Heinrich Schloms 8:49:35.59
5 Msawenkosi Mtolo 8:49:56.13
6 Siseko Ntondini 8:58:17.46
7 Paul Marais 9:05:57.59
8 Thabani Msia 9:05:58.35
9 Siyanda Gwamanda 9:05:58.88
10 Phineas Zulu 9:25:19.76
Women
1 Stephanie Von der Heyde 10:30:13.56
2 Neriyah Dill 10:35:21.11
3 Tayla Isaac 11:08:39.64
4 Ansune Basson 11:21:02.03
5 Dominique Desmeules 12:02:56.54
Pics; John Hishin / Gameplan Media