Day One report from Drakensberg
Challenge
Underberg – In a day of high drama that saw
misfortunes and set backs for virtually all the top contenders the two men
that have dominated the Drakensberg Challenge Canoe Marathon over the past
decade crossed the finish line at the end of the twenty-four kilometre first
stage side by side.
Defending champion Len
Jenkins and five times winner Ant Stott covered the technically challenging
stage out of the mountains on a low Umzimkulu River in one hour thirty-eight
minutes to set up a lead of two and a half minutes over Gauteng teenager
Grant van der Walt.
The first ten kilometres
of the race through the notorious Valley of a Thousand Rapids produced set
backs aplenty for the seeded paddlers. Race leader Len Jenkins suffered a
broken seat while Ant Stott had to fight back after taking a swim above
Black Murray.
"After Ant spun out over
that rock, I looked back and I felt my seat break off," said Jenkins. "I
ended up steering with my toes and tried my best to manoeuvre myself like
that."
Grant van der Walt
runner-up last year produced the days most noticeable performance after
breaking a paddle shortly after Black Murray rapid. "After I had a slow
start I cracked my paddle just before Black Murray and then it broke off!"
said Van der Walt.
After struggling with
only one paddle blade he managed to borrow a small Guppie paddle - a
miniature version of adult sized racing paddle made for under twelve
beginners - from a spectator and limped on to the Trout Hatcheries where his
seconds were able to give him the replacement paddle.
In the remaining twenty
minutes to the overnight stop Van der Walt surged past Hank McGregor and was
closing in on the race leaders by the time he reached the finish at the
Swartberg Road bridge with McGregor on his wave.
"Len's (Jenkins) is doing
very well at the moment," said Stott. "And when he's doing well it's very
hard to beat him."
"Tomorrow should be
better!" said Stott. "Although the water level was low today it's still nice
and clean, and really beautiful out here!"
"Anything can happen
tomorrow, I've fallen out a few times on the second stage so I know what to
expect," said McGregor. "I found it quite frustrating having a low level
today, which becomes an advantage for the lighter paddlers."
As expected the women's
race proved to be highly competitive, with arguably the biggest and
strongest gathering of elite river-marathoners and Olympic sprinters ever
assembled for a canoe race in South Africa.
For champion and pre-race
favourite Carol Joyce finished the first stage with fellow Olympian Michele
Eray and under twenty-one Dusi start Robyn Kime. But is was not all plain
sailing for Joyce as she took a swim at the notorious Black Murray rapid
that signals the end of the Valley of a Thousand Rapids.
"I work well on low
rivers so I was very happy with my performance," said Joyce. "My boat was
taking in some water so I had a lot of work to do."
Eray defied expectations
that she would struggle on the technically demanding river being a
relatively river novice and recovering from recent forearm surgery to finish
alongside the two other women's race leader. "This was my first Drak and its
been great!" said Eray.
Her fellow Olympian Jen
Hodson who last weekend one the KZN Mixed Doubles Champs on the same river
was less fortunate and will start the thirty-eight kilometre second stage
eight minutes off the pace.
More information is available on the race website at
www.drak.co.za
ENDS
SUMMARY OF RESULTS.
DRAKENSBERG CHALLENGE
1.Len Jenkins 01:38:10
2.Ant Stott 01:38:10
3.Grant van der Walt 01:40:43
4.Hank McGregor 01:40:44
5.Greg Louw 01:43:40
6. Jacques Theron 01:43:41
7. Ryan Louw 01:43:41
8. Brandon van der Walt U(18) 01:45:07
9. Andrew Birkett 01:45:08
10. Piers Cruickshanks 01:45:08
11. Deon Bruss 01:46:23
12. Gavin Shuter U(16) 01:46:23
13. Michael Arthur 01:46:23
14. Douglas Bird 01:46:25
15. Murray Burgess 01:46:39
16. Tom Ngcobo 01:46:40
17. Gavin Tarr 01:46:41
18. Lance Kime 01:47:28
19. Gregory Smith 01:48:00
20. Miles Rasmussen 01:48:01
Ladies:
1. Carol Joyce 01:53:00
2. Robyn Kime 01:53:01
3. Michele Eray 01:53:01
4. Hilary Pitchford 01:58:41
5. Danica Vorster 01:58:42
6. Jen Hodson 02:01:07
7. Abie Adie 02:02:46
8. Tamika Haw U(18) 02:03:48
9. Michelle Eder 02:06:37
10.Jenna Starr U(18) 02:08:07
