Rallye du Gard: a hell of a scramble expected at the gate for the final victory

Vainqueur du Rallye du Printemps, 2e du Loz̬re sous le d̩luge, Yannick Vivens (DS3 Rally2), qui fait ̩quipe avec Elodie Alle, est en forme. Midi Libre РAlain Lauret

Plus de 160 équipages prendront le départ samedi 15 juin du 51e Rallye national du Gard. La bagarre s’annonce prometteuse sur les routes cévenoles : six pilotes au moins se disputeront la victoire finale.

The 51st edition of the Rallye du Gard, which will begin with technical checks, from 4 p.m., this Friday, June 14, at the Pôle mechanical d’Alès, will continue on Saturday with classic times around La Grand- Combe.

"We had planned a completely new route, in the town of Lamelouze, but recent problems forced us to change our approach, explain the organizers. In a short time, we had to find a first special that was easy to organize. So, we returned to the 2022 route, with a first long time of 20 km to be covered three times between La Beaume and Le Pendedis, via the Col de La Baraque."

The second time remains unchanged, it is the Sainte-Cécile-d’Andorge special where the drivers will also pass three times. The finale will be on the Pôle Alésien rally track where the closed, regrouping and assistance parks will be held.

Nicolas, Constanty, Lacomy, Masclau and the others

With the entrants of the VHRS, VMRS and VHC rallies, more than 160 competitors will be at the start. In the modern rally, in the wake of the Rallye du Viganais where a fierce duel had pitted Dorian Nicolas, winner by 8 tenths, against his club buddy Kévin Constanty, we will find these two in the fight.

For the victory, we will also have to count on the Aixois Laurent Lacomy, at the wheel of a C3 Rally2, winner here in 2021, and the Ardéchois Arnaud Masclau (Skoda Rally2) who combines performances noticed on asphalt and in the dirt championship.

Even though he will be on new ground, Vesoul driver Paul Euvrard (Hyundai I 20 Rally2), four times on the podium this season and also a declared candidate for victory in final in Nice, will not come to make up the numbers.

Yannick Vivens, always a sure bet

As for Yannick Vivens, who will race in a DS3 Rally2, also author of a remarkable start to the season (2nd in the Rallye de Lozère, victory in the Rallye du Printemps), he knows the subject perfectly and will obviously be eyeing the top step of the podium.

Able to join in the fight, the Gardois Thierry Brunet (Skoda), Fabrice Morel (DS3), Gaëtan Olmi (Hyundai), Sébastien Martinez (Skoda) and Laurent Sagnes (DS3) will have a perfect knowledge of the terrain.

In the R GT group, on a fast first special, we will have to watch the Alpine of Jean-François Mourgues and the Porsches of Serge Sastre and Loïc Panagiotis, the latter having been seen to his advantage at the Rallye des Vins du Gard.

Heavy fight ahead in a tough FRC4 group

In the FRC4 group, particularly tough, facing big names like Jérémie Sérieys (Clio R3), Luc Payan (Saxo), Anthony Puppo (Clio Super 1 600), a former winner, Warren and Gaël Tribouillois, Gardois Julien Bourguignon (Clio R3), Mathieu Plan (DS3), Kevin Corbier (Clio), Nathanaël Zappaconsta, Ludo Malhautier (106) and Boris Bazalgette (208 RC4) will have a lot to do.

In FR Nat, Benjamin Cardénas (306 Maxi) will start as favorite. Serge Dufour (BMW) and Nicolas Viougeas (306) will try to keep up the pace while in FRC5, Salindrois Sylvain Rouquette (Clio RC5) holds the rope.

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