Road rallies – Manoël Delaval in fusion at the Rallye des Volcans! –

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Manoël Delaval in fusion at the Rallye des Volcans !

Road rallies - Manoël Delaval in fusion at the Rallye des Volcans! -

In the absence of Serge Nuques, prematurely titled 2008 French rally champion thanks to his lead, the championship final was dominated by Manoël Delaval, impressive on the handlebars of the official Buell XB 12 STT of Central Team. Report.

In the absence of the sinister Chevalier Nuques, prematurely titled 2008 French Rally Champion thanks to his lead in points, the final of the French Rally Championship was dominated this weekend by an impressive Manoël Delaval, riding the Buell XB 12 STT official from Central Team. Behind him, the titles of the categories are played and Laurent Statuto falls heavily … Revelations and twists in the Auvergne menu !

It is in the friendly village of Saint-Ours-les-Roches (63) that more than 150 participants met to compete in the final of the 2008 French road rally championship. The organization of this first edition, provided by Auvergne Moto Sport in partnership with the festival committee of Saint-Ours-les-Roches, was impeccable: schedules respected, nice route, beautiful specials, no organizational hiccups and the icing on the cake: 100% summer weather, a real joy !

On the weekend program, a course in three loops of 123 km, 77 km and 40 km respectively. By day, the drivers had to complete the 123 km loop twice with two specials (La Botte and La Chartreuse, 2.8 km each) and once the 77 km loop which also passed through the two specials..

At night, the program was reduced to just once the big loop (two specials) and once the 40 km one with only one special (La Botte).

As for the drivers, everyone is ready to do battle on the roads of Auvergne! Everyone … except the 2008 Elite champion, titled since the Dourdou Rally (read): Serge Nuques had indeed planned to entrust his Yamaha 450 WRF "Les Deux Roues" to Laurent Statuto as a "life-size training" "for the Dark Dog Tour (read). The ignoble Grolandais was however engaged in the Rallye des Volcans riding his Yamaha R1 "Les Deux Roues", but his extraterrestrial flair gave him a bad feeling….

"I don’t feel it, and you know what it’s like when you don’t feel it, don’t force yourself", Serge confided to Site on the eve of departure…

With more than 60 points ahead of Julien Toniutti, second in the provisional classification, the Chevalier can afford a wild card while pocketing the 2008 championship title. But from second place, everything remains to be done: in the provisional Elite classification, Julien Toniutti is only 11 points ahead of Jerôme Argoud and 6 small points separate them in the Topsport standings…

In the other categories, nothing is decided either: the event promises to be hot … !

At 10 am, this Saturday August 30, it is under a radiant sun that the start of the first Volcanoes Rally is launched. A sumptuous and rolling course takes the competitors to the first special: La Botte. Very gravel during reconnaissance (good idea for the DDE to spread a nice layer of brand new gravel a few days before the event!), The special is made passable after extensive sweeps.

It is Manoël Delaval who slams a time from another world at the controls of his Buell XB12 STT "Central Team" in 1’37 "581 while Jerôme Argoud, the CMPN pilot at the controls of a Yamaha FZ6, obtains ‘entered a second scratch time (1’40 "355) ahead of Corsican Thomas Garcin (1’41" 280), winner of the Rallye de l’Ain (read), here on the handlebars of a superb Moto Morini 1200 Corsaro "official "that he will be driving at the Dark Dog Tour at the end of the month.

It goes fast, very fast! The first Mono, Laurent Statuto, will only obtain an eighth time with 1’42 "332 in this first special, just behind Julien Toniutti on his KTM 990 Superduke (1’41" 757), handicapped by an untimely encounter between his knee and a big stone hidden in the grass … It’ll teach you to put your knee anywhere !

Behind, the battle rages for the categories: while Thierry Canazzi is resisting the handlebars of his KTM 400 EXC by snatching 1’46 "059, the fastest of" Sports "is Tony Chereau at the controls of a Kawasaki 650 ER6 in 1’44”293.

Baston also on the side-car side with a time of 1’48’405 for the romantic Laur / Ferrieu crew, who remarkably pilot their Choda 1300 Suzuki in front of the defending champions Guillet / Chanal on the handlebars of their Choda 1000 GSXR (1 ’48 "502).

We will find the best time of the Classics (machines before 1985) in 41st place in 1’51’052 with Laurent Razy on the handlebars of a Honda 600 XLR.

The route is rather rolling and the broad times almost allow for sightseeing. The Auvergne landscapes are splendid, and the greenery of the volcanoes enhanced by the sun makes the atmosphere magical … It’s holidays !

Confirmation during the second special at La Chartreuse: Mano was the fastest in 1’33 "562, almost two seconds ahead of Thomas Garcin who posted 1’35" 345. Third place in the clock goes to a supercharged Laurent Statuto, only a thousandth behind (1’35 "346).

In the second round, it was another scratch for the impressive Manoël Delaval on his Buell XB12 STT Central Team: he improved his time on the first lap by almost two tenths (1’37 "397). And this time, it was is Maxime Mettra on his KTM 950 Supermoto which stood out in 1’38 "199, less than a second behind Mano. Follow Jerôme Argoud on his Yamaha FZ6 then Laurent Statuto on the handlebars of the Yamaha 450 WRF "Les Deux Roues" du Chevalier.

At the next special, we still find Mano in first place followed by Thomas Garcin riding the "official" Moto Morini 1200 Corsaro and Laurent Statuto.

Last day loop

Go ahead, it’s hot but more than a little loop and it will be the break! At the special at La Botte, total satisfaction for Jerôme Argoud of the CMPN who took the best time in 1’38 "473, ahead of Maxime Mettra (1’38" 957) and Manoël Delaval (1’39 "504). things are put back in order at La Chartreuse, where Mano gets the upper hand with a scratch in 1’33 "098! Jerôme Argoud is second in 1’33 "604 and Thomas Garcin third in 1’34" 203.

"Day" classification

In the daytime stage classification, it is therefore indisputably Manoël Delaval, the rider of the official Buell XB12 STT Central Team, who takes first place ahead of Jerôme Argoud (Yamaha FZ6) and Maxime Mettra (KTM 950 Supermoto) . The "big points" pocketed by Jerôme at this stage make him return to first place in the provisional Topsport championship, which does not help the affairs of Julien Toniutti (7th in the day ranking) who sees the title fade away…

"The whole team congratulates Mano for his performance and management of the race and also thanks Buell France for placing their trust in us during the season.", rejoices Thierry Boyer, owner of the Harley-Davidson and Buell Central Twin dealership and team manager of the Central Team, which is preparing to field no less than four machines for the Dark Dog Tour."Congratulations also to the Buell XB12STT which is, without a doubt today, one of the most efficient machines on the market.".

In Monos, the 2008 title is played between Michael Pefaure (Yamaha 450 WRF) and Alain Amblard (KTM 660 Supermoto), respectively second and third in the category on this stage (15th and 16th in Elite), Laurent Statuto trusting first place in the day !

In Sports (less than 650 multicylinders and less than 400 single cylinders), Tony Chereau (17th Elite) won the category prize on this day on the handlebars of his Kawasaki 650 ER6 ahead of Patrick Cosnuau (18th Elite) on the same machine and Thierry Canazzi (19th Elite) at the controls of his KTM 400 EXC who saw his lead at the head of the provisional category melt under the Auvergne sun…

In sidecars, we find the team couple Herve Laur / Marie Laure Ferrieu on their Choda 1300 Suzuki on pole in the category. The Lebert / Camus crew on a Yamaha 1100 FJ seems to have been inserted between the two contenders for the title of sidecar champion, since they are found second in front of Guillet / Chanal and their Choda 1000 GSXR.

Laurent Razy on his Honda 600 XLR is at the head of the Classic category, one tenth ahead of Jean Pierre Pelissou, also on Honda 600 XLR, who already pockets the 2008 "Classics" title..

Decisive night

It is this night, for the last stage of the championship, that the last cartridges will be played … We must concretize !

In the first lap, the big loop, things are settled with the metronome: 1st Delaval, 2nd Argoud and 3rd Toniutti (the latter desperately trying to save at least his second place in the Elite championship)…

Bad plan for Laurent Statuto, who made a mistake in the first special! Arrived on the scene in the company of the Chevalier de Groland in the night of Thursday only, after their sports / mono comparison at Magny Cours (read), the Corsican is a victim of his ardor and lack of recognition, which will cost him an exit from the road on a large, fast right … which closes! Laurent comes out with an open wrist fracture that risks jeopardizing his plans for the Dark Dog Tour…

"Excuse me…", Laurent Statuto blurted out to Serge Nuques shortly after the fall … But the Chevalier Coach absolutely does not hold it against his pilot and island friend:"he was there to train in real conditions, the bike was rather tuned for me, who am lighter, the lighting does not behave the same with more weight, and then he had not recognized at all at night. He fell, that’s the risk !", Serge confides to Site."In any case, I was in the stages, I saw him ride and it was a treat! Impeccable trajectories, optimum passage speed … He is truly an excellent pilot."concludes the sinister Chevalier, deeply affected by Laurent’s injury…

As for the Monos, Michael Pefaure on his Yamaha 450 WRF having only scored the points of second behind Laurent Statuto on the day stage, his second place last night behind Alain Amblard and his KTM 660 SMC only confirms the Mono title for Alain.

In Side-cars, the title was already acquired for the lovebirds Herve Laur and Marie Laure Ferrieu on Choda 13000 Suzuki after the day stage. Laurent Guillet and David Chanal, victims of power supply problems on their Choda 1100 GSXR, forfeited the night stage. But a failure of the lighting (breaking of the contact of the headlights to the switchgear) almost prevented the new sidecar champions from completing the test: they covered the last 300 or 400 meters before the arrival of the last night special in strobe light then on standby! They still get a 17th scratch time at this last time (1’50 "049), best side-car time!"During the end of the special, I was driving from memory, blindly !", explains Herve to Site:"I admit that in these last seconds, I was still asking myself existential questions…", he adds … They will therefore end the rally by following a car !

Big fight in Sports with Thierry Canazzi who wins two specials out of three on the handlebars of his KTM 400 EXC. He absolutely had to finish at least second on the stage to win the second Sport title of his career and he will finish the night less than a second behind Tony Chereau on his Kawasaki 650 ER6..

For the Classics Laurent Razy of the "Gang des Lyonnais" at the controls of his gleaming Honda 600 XLR flew over the situation and won the event, but did not manage to dethrone Jean-Pierre Pelissou from his first place in the category in the championship.

The big winner of this Rallye des Volcans 2008 is therefore unquestionably Manoël Delaval on Buell XB12 STT ahead of Jerôme Argoud (Yamaha FZ6) and Maxime Mettra (KTM 950 Supermoto). But the 2008 champion is indeed Serge Nuques, the absent…

Identical podium for the Topsport classification: nothing surprising about this rally with the "avionics" specials! There, Jerôme Argoud won the title of champion of the category! Congratulations Gege – nickname given to him by his "boss", the CMPN team manager Herve Joseph.

Driven from his pole in Topsport, Julien Toniutti nevertheless won the 2008 Espoir Cup … A Hope on the Elite podium, that promises for the future !

In Monos, we finally find Alain Amblard and his "old look" KTM 660 SMC ahead of Michael Pefaure riding the Yamaha 450 WRF "ex-Sergei" and Pascal Bourgeois (another Corsican!), Also pilot of a Yamaha 450 WRF . A new title for "Gaston", Alain’s nickname…

On the Sports side, Tony Chereau won the category on this rally ahead of Thierry Canazzi and Florent Derrien on a Suzuki 400 DRZ. Thierry Canazzi (absent from the photo, since he was already in the return boat) is despite everything titled French champion in the category … Viva Corsica !

In Side-cars, victory for the couple Herve Laur / Marie Laure Ferrieu on their Choda 1300 Suzuki in front of the Lebert / Camus crew on Yamaha 1100 FJ and Marlin / Jeandemange at the controls of the Kawasaki 1100 ZXR, back from the Pikes Peak! We can bet that the 2008 French side-car champion team Laur / Ferrieu celebrated their title on the pillow. !

In the Classics, Laurent Razy wins the rally ahead of 2008 champion Jean-Pierre Pelissou on a Honda 600 XLR, also from the Gang des Lyonnais, and Dominique Wils on an identical motorcycle … Full box for the 600 XLR !

Finally on the Women’s side, Evelyne Colombet wins on the handlebars of a Kawasaki 650 ER6.

It is therefore after having rewarded all the girls of the rally (the gallantry of the rallyman is omnipresent!) And after a wine of honor that this superb rally ends, as well as the French road rally championship. ‘Auvergne Moto Sport and the Saint-Ours-Les-Roches festival committee for this impeccable organization … !

But stay tuned, because the Dark Dog Tour will soon start, to be followed live on Site !

Marcus HIMSELF

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