Pretto Paddles up for a Come from Behind Win in Marysville to Melbourne Multisport
News Release / 30.04.2012
An under-the-radar entry in the form of Melbourne local James Pretto has taken out this weekend’s Marysville to Melbourne Multisport presented by The Difference. Pretto’s come from behind win proved that having solid paddle fitness and river knowledge is integral to doing well in this point-to-point endurance race which challenges entrants to trail run, road ride and river paddle a 155km course from the mountain township of Marysville into Melbourne’s Yarra’s Edge at the Docklands, in the heart of the city.
Following his fourth placing in last year’s outing, Pretto shot up the ranks this year to confirm his primo podium slot in remarkable form by mowing down three rivals over the two final paddle stages. Taking his boat onto the water at Westerfolds Park in Melbourne’s north east, Pretto faced the daunting challenge of catching last year’s winner, Luke Haines, along with last year’s second place getter Reece Stephens and Ironman athlete, Rhys Newsome.
“I’ve been working towards this win for the past five months,” said Pretto, who purposefully entered late to avoid pundit scrutiny. “I knew I would have to work hard with Luke and Reece out there, but on course I knew that the ride would have taken a bit out of Luke as he went pretty hard to try and make up for falling behind on the run. And then he had no-one’s wheel to hang on to. In the second run I was happy to let them (Haines, Stephens and Newsome) get away a little because I was confident I could put something back into them over the final two paddle legs.”
“I had the advantage of being a Watsonia local, so I’ve been out on the course a lot, particularly the paddle legs, training on all different water levels pretty much every week for five months,” said Pretto.
Despite a lot of pre-race concern about water levels in the Yarra, it turned out to be very much a paddler’s race as Haines – a strong kayaker – drew away from Stephens and Newsome, who couldn’t match up in the kayak. Once on the water, the pair quickly dropped off pace and, eventually, podium contention.
Haines remained happy with his second place, saying he struggled on the run for a period with a leg strain that slowed his descents on foot. “I then had to work extra hard to reel the pack in on the road. But I picked them off and thought my work was in the main done. But James (Pretto) obviously saved some energy for the paddle, and when he took it to me, I just didn’t have enough to hold him back.”
Port Melbourne local, Alex Polizzi, marked himself as a multisport athlete of the future, snatching a jubilant third place on the podium by reeling in first Newsome and then Stephens on the float past Melbourne’s CBD into the Docklands.
Polizzi reckons that he didn’t leave anything in the tank to register his first elite level result. “I can hardly suck in air let alone water,” puffed Polizzi at the finish. “I’m over the moon. I worked so hard for this. But I’m totally spent.”
In the women’s category it was always going to be a tussle up front with renowned triathlete sisters, Elizabeth and Bernadette Dornam, up against top placed Lorne Anaconda Adventure racer Jacqui Watts along with last year’s second-place getter at M2M, a determined Peri Gray a favourite in the mix.
In the wash up it was a step up in glory for Torquay’s Peri Gray, whose redoubled training efforts and single minded focus on this event over the past twelve months paid dividends with a win.
“After last year’s second and so many other second and third placings in my racing , it’s just so nice to win for once!” said Gray, who thanked second placed solo male Luke Haines for pushing her hard in training.
“Hills,” said Gray of the grounding to her win. “I ran lots of hills and I rode lots of hills. I also spent a lot of time on the actual course, so it all helped today.”
It wasn’t hill work that eventually pitched Peri into first place, however, as she took the lead from Jacqui Watts on water, paddling past her on the final kayak leg to cross the line with a two minute gap.
For her part, second placed Watts showed pure racing grit to remain on course at all after coming off her bike on a fast road ride descent. The at-speed fall softened by bushes and her resolve hardened by the incident, Watts remounted the saddle to remain in the lead. It was admirable effort for the Melbourne athlete to race, having only five weeks ago recorded a sub ten hour result at Ironman Melbourne.
Third placed Bernadette Dornam turned the tables on her sister, Elizabeth, who won last year’s Marysville to Melbourne. This year they traded places in the early stages before getting on the Yarra River together at checkpoint four, Bernadette able to push out to three minute lead once on the water.
In the Teams Category (and first across the line overall) was Team Love the Run, Ride, Paddle, a mixed bunch with two young gun road riders, Lachie Brown and Mitchell Cooper, teaming with 'older gun' athletes, notable runner Campbell Maffett and paddling doyen Tim Altman, to slaughter the course and all behind them for a domineering first over the line win in 07:06:21.
The team was in second place after the first run, Maffett not quite matching the speed of 2011 Salomon Trail Run Series Champion Ben Ashkettle, whose pedigree is revealed by the fact he was a scholarship runner at Northern Arizona State University in the United Sates.
But strong rides by the team’s riders pushed them well ahead following the Kinglake descent, turning a four minute deficit into 13 minute lead. By the time paddler Tim Altman – one of Australia’s most well respected oarsman – took to the water, the legacy from runner Campbell Maffett was a good 20 minute lead.
“I feel like the senior citizen standing next to these lads,” said Altman celebrating with his young cycling team mates at the finish. “But their blistering rides really set me up for a cruise down the Yarra. At the handover from Campbell (Maffett) off the final run I had at least twenty minutes up my sleeve, so I wasn’t too worried about being caught.”
Behind in second place was Team getting It Done, who indeed crossed twenty minutes in arrears, followed by Team Fitness Paddlers (Team One), a further ten minutes back.
RESULTS
Individual male
1. James Pretto 07:43:00
2. Luke Haines 07:51:00
3. Alex Polizzi 07:56:40
Individual female
1. Peri Gray 09:10:09
2. Jacqui Watts 09:12:11
3. Bernadette Dornam 09:18:59
Teams Category
1. Love the Run, Ride, Paddle 07:06:21
2. Getting it done 07:26:46
3. Fitness Paddlers Australia T1 07:37:07
For more information see www.marysville2melbourne.com.au . The Marysville to Melbourne Multisport Challenge presented by The Difference course included:
19km trail run
50km road ride
41km road ride
14km trail run
15km Fitness Paddlers Australia river paddle
16km Yarra’s Edge river paddle
