Rabie shows form ahead of Windhoek Berg
Cape Town - Maties student Pierre-André Rabie fired a salvo
across the bows of the serious challengers for the Windhoek Berg
River Marathon title with an emphatic win on the 2010 Swartland
Canoe Marathon on the weekend.
Under 21 star Rabie romped home to win the two-day race on the
Berg river by a massive eight minute margin ahead of seasoned
berg river pro Graeme Solomon, and said after the win that he
feels he is in the best form ever.
With the gruelling four Day Windhoek Berg from 14 to 17 July just
three weeks away, Rabie’s stunning form has cast a new light on
the famous canoeing odyssey starting in Paarl and finishing 228km
downstream at Velddrif.
“I’m fitter and stronger than I was last year,” said Rabie with
typical modesty and humility. “In last years Berg I had just
recovered from ‘flu and managed to scratch a sixth place.”
The Stellenbosch student alternates his time between his
university commitments and his family farm in the Nuy district
outside Worcester, handily placed between the Berg and Breede
rivers.
“Pierre-André (Rabie) fully deserved his win,” said runner up
Solomon. “He is great going through tree blocks, and is stronger
an faster than he has been for a long time.”
“If conditions determine that we have a medium to low Windhoek
Berg then Rabie will be a real factor over four days,” said
Solomon.
Having shown his pedigree as a solid and experienced Berg racer,
the challenge in 2010 for Rabie will be to translate his form
over the two-days of the Swartland into a podium finish in the
Windhoek Berg, and give himself the best possible shot at
snatching the title away from McGregor should circumstances
present the right opportunities.
Rising star Lance King and another Maties canoeing prodigy
Heinrich Schloms opted not to race the Swartland marathon,
preferring the keep their cards close to their chest. The pair
spent the weekend paddling on the Windhoek Berg route, improving
their local knowledge and the testing conditions.
King and Schloms have played a significant role in the Windhoek
Berg in recent years, where they have worked with fellow elite
locals Rabie, Solomon, Pieter-Willem Basson, Ernest van Riet and
Edgar Boehm Jnr to try and keep the six times champion Hank
McGregor in check.
If the top Cape paddlers determine to work together, as they have
often done in the past, they can “build a wave” in marathon
canoeing parlance. This translates as paddling on each others
wake, for respite, taking turns to go out on the front of the
diamond-shaped groups or “bunches” that get formed by long
distance paddlers.
The
Windhoek Berg River Canoe Marathon takes place for 14 to 17 July,
and will be preceded by a time trials for 200 invited athletes on
Tuesday 13 July. More information can be found at
www.windhoekberg.co.za
RESULTS OF THE SWARTLAND MARATHON
1.Pierre-Andre Rabie 5:54.41
2.Graeme Solomon 6:01.43
3.Edgar Boehm Jnr 6:16.59
4.Chris de Waal 6:18.14
5.Greg van Heerden 6:19.00
6.Henri van der Merwe 6:19.12
7.Alasdair Glass 6:20.28
8.Ian Trautmann 6:24.46
9.Rob Hart 6:25.50
10.Cornelis Human 6:29.20
ENDS
