Road rallies – 75th Rallye de l’Ain: Julien Toniutti, number Ain! – Second big tour and last small day tour

75th Rallye de l’Ain: Julien Toniutti, number Ain !

Road rallies - 75th Rallye de l'Ain: Julien Toniutti, number Ain! - Second big tour and last small day tour

One more victory for the pilot KTM official site Julien Toniutti on KTM 690 Duke R, at the end of an “ underwater ” Rallye de l’Ain where we find two site pilots on the first two steps of the podium. Wet record.

Second big tour and last small day tour

The rain is now well established. In Challes, the special was copiously wet and Julien Toniutti imposed his KTM 690 Duke R in 1’33.34 only 74 hundredths ahead … Nicolas Pautet, the third rider of the Site team riding his Husaberg 650 FS! The third fastest time goes to Mickael Porcu on Husaberg 570 FS, one tenth behind in 1’34.18.

For my part, this very wet special will reassure me about the performance of my Bridgestone BT023 tires in the rain … Worried so far in the face of the competition’s "rain" Goldspeed mounts (in light monos in addition, compared to my Yamaha 1200 Super Tenere …), I get the twentieth time, 15 seconds from the scratch.

My Yamaha was 57 hundredths of a second ahead of the Amblard crew’s side Choda 1100 Kawasaki, while I was on the tip of the tires. It will be easy to do better: my 1200 XTZ always so safe and its electronic assistance always so fine-tuned only asks to put big gas !

Great performance also from the first Sport, Thierry Canazzi, who offers himself here a seventh scratch time from the top of his Goldspeed rain tires on the handlebars of his KTM 400 EXC, seven seconds behind the best time (1’40.52).

Ten minutes later, second special of the loop and fourth time of the day: Ceignes. The rainfalls continue and the stage is totally flooded! The start marshal tells us the location of some large puddles … It will be cotton !

Mickael Porcu did not intend to be impressed and posted the best time: 1’31.96, almost a second ahead of Julien Toniutti "angry" who secures the second time in 1’32.93. Always so wet and just as motivated by his previous result, our "Crazy" Nico Pautet slams the third fastest time, eight tenths behind his mentor (1’33.73).

More and more confident in my Bridgestone "sport touring" BT023 who show me that they are not afraid of the wet, this time I go back to ten seconds from scratch by obtaining a sixteenth time: 1’42.79.

And we’re off again for the long link in the mountains … This time I’m riding with the previous driver. Aware of my low vision (fifty, it feels …) which will not help my reading of the road book in these difficult weather conditions, the friendly Eric Dubuc on the handlebars of the KTM 990 SM n ° 115 was waiting for me at the stop point of the special. Nice retired cop !

It’s still less stressful for two on the mountain of Ain … Here we are at the CH de Poizat, time for a little wee and a half-cigarette and we’re off again.

Arrived in Cerdon, still in the rain of course, the 15mn break is very appreciable. But we do not relax and it starts again for a last little tour of about thirty kilometers.

The last two specials of the day are threaded like pearls! The Number One rider of the Journal moto du Net has the best time on the handlebars of his official KTM 690 Duke R in 1’34.57.

Julien’s colt, Nicolas Pautet confirms his Olympic form on the handlebars of his Husaberg 650 FS "Moon Replica" and snatches the second fastest time (1’36.09), 1.52 seconds behind the master. Mickael Porcu’s Husaberg 570 FS will be satisfied with the third time in 1’36.12.

There is also a battle among the 125s: if the KTM 125 Duke of Michel Bonneau obtains here a fifty-first scratch time (about thirty seconds from the best time) almost two seconds faster than the HM 125 of the young Tanguy Brebion (19 years old) ). The latter resists the assaults of the old man of Michel and does not intend to let himself be easily dominated !

Girdles, last of the day: there, respect! As if to offer himself his birthday present (25 the next day), Nicolas Pautet takes the first scratch time of his career: 1’33.89, or seven hundredths of a second in front of his friend / teacher / master / idol / mentor Julian Toniutti! Touching, isn’t it? Micka Porcu is in third place in this time just thirty seven hundredths behind Nico Pautet (1’34.26).

Return to Cerdon where we have an hour and a half of assistance to prepare the motorcycles for the night before bringing them back to the parc ferme for the night stage..

Marcus HIMSELF

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