The 53rd edition of the Bagnols-Sabran hill climb is a great success with the public

Le Bagnolais Jérémy Avellaneda est arrivé en deuxième position en catégorie voitures de production. C.B.

Spectators were able to see the cars up close between two climbs. C.B.

The cars embark on a 3.1 km climb to arrive on the plateau. C.B.

Between each lap, the cars are checked and spectators can wander between the paddocks. C.B.

Many spectators flocked to the weekend of April 6 and 7 to attend the Bagnols-Sabran hill climb in which 144 drivers were entered.

The success of the Bagnols-Sabran hill climb, the 53rd edition of which took place on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 April, cannot be denied. "We had more than 2000 spectators on Saturday and there are even more this Sunday!" smiles Pierre Barré, member of the organizing team of this Asa (motor sports association) Rhône Garrigue event, and official speaker of the French mountain championship of the FFSA (French Motorsport Federation ).

Under the eyes of numerous spectators, placed along the 3.1 km route on the climb of the D166 departmental road, which has numerous turns, the 144 competitors took part competed in different categories: historic cars, closed cars in the production category and open cars in the sports category. Among the pilots entered, "23 are from Asa"greets Pierre Barré. Among them, the Bagnolais Jérémy Avellaneda, came in second position in the production category, behind Yannick Poinsignon.

"My father was already participating in this race"

"Participating in a race is teamwork. There is the pilot but also all those behind it" explains the Bagnolais pilot who is also a pilot instructor. A second place won at the wheel of a Porsche that Jérémy Avellaneda tested for the first time on Saturday. This is not his first experience, "I've been participating in this race since 2015 and my father already did it, it’s generational ! Young people have dreamed of this race and are participating…"

A weekend darkened on Saturday by an accident: during the first climb, an accredited photographer was hit by a car and airlifted to the Nîmes University Hospital.

The Bagnols-Sabran hill climb opens the FFSA French Mountain Championship (French Motorsport Federation). This event is also included in the calendar of the Occitanie-Mediterranean League Championship.

Victory and record broken with 1'20″923 by Fabien Bourgeon in the sports car category

With a rise in 1'20" 923, driver Fabien Bourgeon, entered in series A (sports cars) and winner of the 2023 edition, obtained on Sunday afternoon a new record for the climb time held until now by Geoffrey Schatz (in 2019 with 1’21″376).

Fabien Bourgeon won ahead of Marc Pernot and Cyrille Frantz. This is the third time he has won the Bagnols-Sabran hill climb.

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