8 November 2024
Difficult evening for many in Maastricht
The warmup for the World Cup drivers in Maastricht brought spectacle and surprises, with Australian driver Boyd Exell making his mark straight away. Exell stayed clear in a challenging course and set a convincing time, crowning himself the winner.
Boyd Exell wins warm-up in Maastricht
Photo: Wil Smeets
In the first round, several drivers made mistakes on the technical course in Maastricht. Boyd Exell was the only one to stay clear in a sharp time of 148.99 seconds. This qualified him directly for the drive-off.
Koos de Ronde, who was allowed to start thanks to a wildcard, started strongly. Although he drove off a ball, this was still enough to advance to the Drive Off. Bram Chardon did not have an easy time either and collected four penalty points. However, he was fast enough to also qualify for the drive-off.
Difficult evening
For other drivers, the course proved particularly tricky. Germany’s Marieke Meier and her compatriot Georg von Stein ran up 20 and 12 penalty points respectively. Glenn Geerts had to take 28 penalties after a recovered fault in the first obstacle. This limited his chances of advancing to the top and thus the drive-off. The course, designed by Jeroen Houterman, required accuracy over speed, making faultless riding crucial to secure a place in the Drive Off
Koos de Ronde at Maastricht
Photo: Wil Smeets
In the drive-off, the drivers once again managed to create excitement. Bram Chardon had a tricky start with a mistake in the first obstacle. He chose to finish his round in a controlled manner, which resulted in a finishing time of 207.47 seconds and 32 penalty points.
Koos de Ronde started next, and despite four penalties, he remained steady and controlled. With a time of 146.81 seconds and a total of 150.81 penalty points, he eventually managed a solid result.
Boyd Exell closed the drive-off with an impressive round. He not only stayed clear, but also recorded an exceptionally fast time of 137.63 seconds. This underlined his form at the start of the indoor season and earned him victory in the warmup.
The warmup was a foretaste of what awaits the audience tomorrow night at the official World Cup competition in Maastricht. From 9:35 PM, the drivers will take to the track again in an attempt to secure World Cup points. Boyd Exell has already shown his strength, but other drivers such as Bram Chardon and Koos de Ronde, will try to take revenge and secure a podium place.
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Source: Galop.be
