Punishing tactics pay off on Berg
THE imperious Bamboo Warehouse team of Graeme Solomon and Adrian Boros strengthened its grip on the overall lead after the pair put in a flawless display on the second day of the Berg River Canoe Marathon extending their lead to over 10 minutes at Bridgetown yesterday.
The 32km stage was always going to be an exciting fight with chasers Keith Moule of Great Britain and Joep van Bakel of the Netherlands in need of a faultless day of their own to try and catch the leaders, but that was not to be as they surrendered the control of the race after critical errors in the closing stages.
The tactics from Bamboo Warehouse were clear when they powered off the start line with a lead of one minute 40 seconds over the internationals. From the get-go it was about building as big a lead as possible, which is exactly what they did.
“We tried to go as hard as we could and Graeme was pulling us into the rapids and I would take up the pull on the flat water,” Boros said after the stage. We wanted to make sure we were at the front going into the final two days because you never quite know what can happen.”
The dynamics of team racing have been spoken about at length with Boros only arriving a few days before the race started, but his partner Solomon is full of praise for the team-based race.
“The fact that people are going to create bonds through this format is one of the great things about it.
“You have to look after each other all the time. It is a totally different dynamic in that when we were coming through a tricky section and I would hear Adrian’s paddle hit a tree I would check to see if he was OK!
“But last year I would be celebrating quietly if he was stuck so it is a bit strange but I think that it has been a great change,” Solomon mentioned.
The challenge for the top step was only going to come from one place and Moule and Van Bakel knew that they had to be at the top of their game on the second day. It was going well for the duo until the final quarter of the stage.
‘Go hard’
“We knew that they were going to go hard from the start and we thought that maybe if we had a good day and they made a few mistakes then we could make up the time, but I think we saved all our mistakes for the last ten kilometres!” said Moule.
“It was a bit like England in the football last night! Started well and then it all fell apart at the end and that is how it felt for me today.”
Over such a fast-paced stage any mistake is amplified by the time lost and unfortunately for the Brit and his Dutch teammate their problems were compounded by a flawless display from the leaders.
“We gave time away stupidly in the final 10 kays, but those guys at the front are fairly strong and when you get them on the flat water they are pretty hard to catch.”
Last year saw Moule shoot the Drie Heuwels weir in a boat that was split at the seams and 2018 saw him take a swim, which cost them valuable time.
“Whenever I have tripped that section in the past it has been fine! I think I just changed my line slightly at the top and it was the last thing I needed at that point of the race!” he said with a smile afterwards.
Coming home in a close race for third were the overnight bronze medal position holders Gavin White and Bartho Visser.
The pair have spent the entire race with the team of Anders Hart and Jermaine Pietersen and at the end of the second stage managed to pip them in an end sprint to hold a five-second advantage.
Bianca Beavitt and Crispin Thompson consolidated their mammoth lead in the mixed doubles race but dropped down the race leader board slightly to finish yesterday’s stage in ninth position overall.
The Change a Life Capensis pair of Mthobisi Cele and Mpilo Zondi were at their consistent best as they paddled to another fifth and maintained their hold on the under-23 crown while the pair of Malvino Klaase and Angelo Smith remain the strongest under18 pair in the race after the second stage.
Today’s third and longest stage, the Queen Stage, will take the paddlers 75km from Bridgetown to Zoutkloof.
More information can be found at www.berg.org.za Minenhle Mkhize
NATIONAL First Division outfit Royal Eagles have appointed former Bafana Bafana midfielder Kagisho “KG” Dikgacio as an assistant coach.
Independent Media has been reliably informed that Dikgacio will assist the head coach Roger Sikhakhane at Eagles for the new season.
The well travelled midfield dynamo last appeared for Lamontville Golden Arrows two seasons ago.
He joined them following his six-year spell in Europe where he played for clubs like Fulham, Crystal Palace and Cardiff City. “KG has joined Eagles. Roger Sikhakhane asked the club to hire the former Bafana Bafana midfielder. The club granted him the permission to bring him on board.