15 December 2024

Michael Mayer satisfied with first World Cup competition

Last weekend the World Cup competition was held in Geneva. Michael Mayer (SUI) made his debut as course designer within the World Cup circuit. In previous years he was already present as assistant course designer in Geneva, but this year he got the chance to design the course himself for the first time.

“Quite an honor”, he tells Hoefnet know afterwards. “Although it is quite a challenge here in Geneva to build a good course. That’s because it’s a big course, it’s 95m by 60m. It is therefore difficult not to make the course too long -with respect to animal welfare-, but it is difficult to make it spectacular and technical enough. My goal was to build a flowing course that offered enough challenge for the drivers and therefore was spectacular to see for the audience.”

“I’m very pleased with how Michael handled this”, winner Boyd Exell announced afterwards. “It was a smooth and fast course, but at the same time difficult enough. There were several drivers who made mistakes in the same spots. It shouldn’t be too easy either, that’s what makes the sport fun. But because Koos de Ronde, Bram Chardon and Jérôme Voutaz finished half a second apart in the first round today, you can say that the course was super. My compliments to Michael.”

Grateful

“I am very grateful to have been able to make my debut here in Geneva as a course designer within the World Cup circuit. Five years ago, this was my first World Cup competition where I attended as an assistant and to have had the opportunity to debut as a course designer here now is great. The biggest difference is that now of course I am ultimately responsible, my name is on the drawings and if things are not right I have to make sure it is fixed.”

“I must honestly say that I felt quite a bit of pressure before the start of this weekend. Despite not being a course designer at outdoor competitions for very long, I have found my routine in that. I know what to expect then. At your first World Cup competition you obviously don’t have that routine, I was pretty nervous! But it all went well and I think we saw good sport. That’s where we all do it for right?! Now I’m going to focus on the outdoor season, I hope I can come back here next year. Hopefully then I can add another World Cup competition to my schedule.”

Click here for more information about last weekend’s competition in Geneva

Michael Mayer

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