12 November 2023
Boyd Exell takes the victory in Maastricht
It was the evening of unexpected mistakes and surprising results in the World Cup competition in Maastricht. The enthusiastic audience was treated to a spectacular competition that was won by Boyd Exell. Bram Chardon had to settle for third place behind Michael Brauchle.
Boyd Exell werd gehuldigd als winnaar van de wedstrijd
Photo: Wil Smeets
Mistakes and fast times
In the first round it was immediately a race with surprises. Koos de Ronde set a super fast time, but knocked over an element in obstacle 10. With a total of 161.99 he just missed the drive off and finished fourth. Michael Brauchle drove an amazing time of 152.81, but made two mistakes. Nevertheless, he made it to the drive-off because with a total of 160.18 he was in the top three. After his great performance yesterday, Glenn Geerts made too many mistakes for a top ranking. The Belgian crossed the finish line in 161.31, but had 3 balls fall, making his final time 173.31. Boyd Exel also made it exciting. He also suffered from the difficult gate 9, which was located in the middle of the arena and was taken when crossing from one long side to the other. Nevertheless, his final time was under 160 seconds. Just like yesterday, Bram Chardon was super fast in the first round and he remained clear. His backstepper saved him from a ball on gate 9 and Bram’s time was even faster than Boyd’s base time.
Surprising outcome
The drive-off was therefore between Michael Brauchle, Boyd Exell and Bram Chardon. Michael Brauchle immediately started at top speed and seemed to be heading for a super time. Until the moment he hit the adjacent oxer while taking obstacle 10. That not only earned him 4 penalty seconds, but the rhythm was completely gone and he almost came to a standstill in the obstacle. Those precious seconds made his final time 165.37. Then it was Boyd Exell’s turn. He developed a lot of speed and managed to maintain control; a beautiful clear drive in 152.54. The crowd cheered last starter Bram Chardon. But in the first marathon obstacle, Bram missed the line to C and had to drive an extra lap, which he could not afford. The reigning European champion left no stone unturned, but with a time of 178.01 he finished third. Because Boyd Exell and Bram Chardon had a wildcard, Michael Brauchle took the full load of World Cup points.
Michael Brauchle werd tweede en pakte de volle bak aan wereldbekerpunten
Photo: Wil Smeets
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