Road rallies – Rallye des Garrigues: Velardi leads the way – Saturday morning: time to race!

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Rallye des Garrigues: Velardi leads the way

Road rallies - Rallye des Garrigues: Velardi leads the way - Saturday morning: time to race!

Following the retirement of n ° 2, Laurent Filleton (KTM 1290 Superduke KTM Team France / CTM 83) who fell at the start of the race, Ajaccian rider Christophe Velardi (Ducati 1200 Multistrada) won the rally. But it’s jostling behind ! Story.

Saturday morning: time to race !

It’s not hot this morning at 8:30 am, but it’s a big blue sky that greets the launch of the 2016 French rally championship. As expected, this reconnaissance lap start is done two by two, in order of numbers, every 30 seconds.

A lap that takes place without any particular problem, with caution knowing that the three stages are still open to traffic.

10:30 am: Serious things will begin! From the first special, in Murles, Laurent Filleton’s KTM 1290 Superduke announced the color, best time in 1’40.40.

He is followed by Bruno Shiltz (Aprilia 1100 Tuono) in 1’40.81 and Florent Derrien, who seems to adapt very well to Julien Toniutti’s little Yamaha 450 WRF, posting the third fastest time of this special (1’41.08).

The picturesque route of the Herault hinterland then passes towards Aniane (34), before descending on the second special of this first large loop: Aumelas.

Then it’s the coup de theater! The special is very bumpy and Laurent Filleton drives very fast … He lands on a full-angle bump at the end of the curve and makes a mistake. Fortunately, the driver was only slightly injured in the knee, but the machine was destroyed (broken frame, twisted fork …) and it was the abandonment for the KTM 1290 Superduke number 2 of KTM Team France / CTM 83.

There, it is Christophe Velardi who takes the controls on the handlebars of the Ducati 1200 Multistrada of Ducati Moto Prestige Ajaccio. Christophe slams a time of 1’40.32, followed by just over 5 tenths of a second by Bruno Schiltz’s Aprilia 1100 Tuono "Kiwi helmets" (1’40.84). Third time for Benoît Nimis (Yamaha MT09) in 1’41.24.

Great performance from Sonia Barbot at the controls of the KTM 690 Duke R of KTM Team France which takes the seventh fastest time in the special (1’46.65).

Back in Laverune, a half-hour break is given to the pilots before starting the second big loop.

At the second passage in Murles Bruno Schiltz offered the best pendulum on the handlebars of his Aprilia 1100 Tuono in 1’39.18. Second time for Christophe Velardi (Ducati 1200 Multistrada) in 1’39.98, third Benoît Nimis (Yamaha MT09) in 1’40.26.

Things are also going strong behind these three riders in the SW Motech / Roadster category: the little Mono Yamaha 450 WRF of Florent Derrien is in fourth place in the last two specials but the Sport 2 category is showing its nose: Maxime Mettra (Kawasaki 650 Versys / Helit Moto – Challenge 24) takes the fifth fastest time in 1’41.69.

As for the sidecars, the Norbert Jacob / Franck Bacon crew at the controls of their Suzuki 1300 Choda team (number 380) have set times in the top 20 (18th time here in 1’50.42).

Aumelas, second pass: Christophe Velardi takes things in hand and posts the best time in 1’38.72. Bruno Schiltz’s Aprilia 1100 is second (1’39.52). Third time for Florent Derrien’s Toniutti’s Yamaha 450 WRF (1’40.56).

Thirty minutes of assistance are still allocated to return to Laverune before the last and short loop of this day stage.

For this third lap, the pilots join the Aumelas special, without going through Murles. At this fifth special of the day it is again Christophe Velardi who leads the way in 1’38.71 but he is followed very closely (8 hundredths) by Benoît Nimis on the handlebars of his Yamaha MT09 (1’38.79) . Third time for Bruno Schiltz (Aprilia 1100 Tuono Kiwi helmets) in 1’39.66.

A short road route then leads to the last special of the day, Laverune. A special where there will be only this one passage during the rally. Borrowed during the previous edition (2014) of the Rallye des Garrigues, it is a special called "in town" because it is traced in the town of Laverune, but it does not pass through the alleys of the village "TT" style. !

The start is given at the exit of the city and its route of 1.7 km then leads back to the village.

Here it is once again Christophe Velardi and his Ducati 1200 Multistrada which monopolizes the best time in 1’05.57. He is still followed by the Yamaha MT09 of Benoît Nimis (1’06,29). Third time for the Aprilia 1100 Tuono of Bruno Schiltz (1’06.96).

At the end of the day stage we therefore find, without surprise, three riders in the SW Motech / Roadster category: Christophe Velardi in the lead (Ducati 1200 Multistrada / Ducati Moto Prestige Ajaccio), Bruno Schiltz (Aprilia 1100 Tuono / Kiwi helmets) is second at 2.47 seconds and Benoît Nimis (Yamaha MT09) third at 4.55 seconds.

It is after 6 p.m. when the last competitors arrive. We must now prepare the machines for the night stage and have a bite to eat, the start is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. !

Benoît Nimis takes advantage of this interlude to equip his Yamaha MT09 with the new led lights from Tecnoglobe … A choice that he will be able to quickly appreciate !

Marcus HIMSELF

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