The World Cup of Mechelen did once again not disappoint! With six combinations in the jump-off, only one more than last year, it was Christian Ahlmann who secured his already third World Cup victory in the Nekkerhal, Mechelen, aboard of Mandato van de Neerheide.
More than last year. In the World Cup barrage in Mechelen, six of them lined up at the start, three of them under the Belgian flag. The Nekkerhal experienced déjà vu with Pieter Devos, who, with MoM's Toupie de La Roque (Kannan), secured a spot in the barrage just like last year. Nicola Philippaerts continued the trend of the week in this World Cup and also earned the right to defend the tricolor in the final, along with Gregory Wathelet and Bond Jamesbond de Hay. The latter had won the World Cup leg in Lyon in November, making him a formidable opponent!
First to start was Hans-Dieter Dreher (GER) with Vestmalle des Cotis (Baloubet du Rouet). The rail of the first combination obstacle came down for them. Their time was 35.86s. Second to start: Nicola Philippaerts. In the saddle of Moya vd Bisschop (Darco), Philippaerts maintained a strong pace, but it was one obstacle earlier, the BMW style, that threw a wrench in their plans. Their time clocked in at 36.98s.
Third in line, all eyes were on Christian Ahlmann. The Zangersheide's top man had Mandato van de Neerheide (Emerald) under his saddle. The duo delivered; the first clear round was in. The time to beat was 34.23s. It was up to the world number one to test if it could be even faster, eleven years after his first victory in the Mechelen World Cup. With his flawless ride, he followed Ahlmann's time but missed the lead by 44 hundredths.
Gregory Wathelet pulled out all the stops with Bond Jamesbond de Hay (Diamant de Semilly). He eagerly took advantage of the stallion's big strides and was urged to the finish by the crowd. The enthusiasm was high, his courage even greater. The rails stayed in place, and the time stopped exactly one second more than Ahlmann's. Pieter Devos was the only one left to secure a Belgian victory, a year after Wilm Vermeir achieved the win in front of the home crowd. Ultimately, just like last year, it was just shy of a podium with the fourth place.
For Ahlmann, it's his third time winning the World Cup in Mechelen, after claiming victory in 2015 and 2018 with Taloubet Z and Clintexro Z, respectively.