Road rallies – Second rally 2013: Franck Coudert wins the Sarthe – Menu of the day … and of the night

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Second rally 2013: Franck Coudert wins the Sarthe

Road rallies - Second rally 2013: Franck Coudert wins the Sarthe - Menu of the day ... and of the night

Despite the capricious weather, the 56th Sarthe rally, the second round of the 2013 championship, was a real success, and mainly for Franck Coudert, astonishing on the handlebars of his Ducati 1200 Multistrada. When the outsider wins! Story.

Menu of the day … and night

The 56th edition of the Sarthe rally was not greeted by the sun this time. Following the disastrous weather conditions of the previous weeks, the Le Mans region is indeed flooded, and particularly the friendly village of La Suze which has been hosting the rally for a few years now..

The tents of the race HQ where the technical controls were to take place and where the parc ferme was installed (at the port on the banks of La Suze) had to be moved to the center of the village, on the market square the day before the start due to the triggering of an orange weather alert.

Alarming conditions for the organizers, ASM ACO, who managed the crisis with a masterful hand and perfectly reinstalled the organizing structure at the last moment. Hats off to the volunteers and officials who worked tirelessly to ensure that the event took place in the best conditions..

The weather forecast is rather negative this Friday, April 12, but in practice the weather seems to want to improve … This leaves a heavy hesitation among the top pilots, especially in terms of the choice of tires: rain or no rain ?

The Site and official KTM France pilot Julien Toniutti is also wondering about the choice of his mount for the Sarthoise event (KTM RC8): "if it’s dry I’ll get everyone to agree on the Bugatti circuit", launches the number one of the Rallies.

"Then I’ll try to manage my lead over the five remaining stages … But if it rains it’s dead !", admits Julien who intends to keep his word and compete in this event on a KTM RC8 loaned by KTM Grand Lyon and prepared" rally "by 2RTeam competition.

"In addition with my new sponsor, I have what it takes in the engine", he jokes about a new partner, specializing in" thoroughbred horses "and based somewhere in East Groland, probably…

But you can’t predict everything, especially in road rallies! And this new event will once again demonstrate it, with the victory of Franck Coudert on his Ducati 1200 Multistrada. The veteran CMPN rider was not even foreseen in the final podium forecasts, written down on a piece of tablecloth by the team of the net motorcycle newspaper, after a good drinking session a good meal the night before…

To drink and to eat

As almost every year, the Sarthois menu begins with a 4-lap special on the Bugatti circuit. A long link of about 80 km should then lead us to the first road special of the day, at Besse sur Braye, taken during the last Dark Dog Moto Tour..

Traced on tiny roads and a succession of intersections, this special is 4.4 km long. Very technical and virolous, very delicate because dotted with earthy traces and gravel: it promises if it’s wet !

Then return to La Suze, by an equally long road route, very typical rally with multiple intersections. A one and a half hour neutralization is scheduled before going to Roeze sur Sarthe, second road special and last of the day stage.

Located less than 10km from the Suze, it is only 2.2 km but is of the same style as that of Besse sur Braye with even more dirt on the road! The rain having turned this special into a real quagmire, the organizers have their work cut out for them to clean it up as little as possible before launching the motorcycles! Then we return very quickly to the Suze to complete the day stage.

A rather "light" menu due to the low number of specials, therefore, but a rather trying day loop with more than 240 km of municipal and local roads, often earthy and gravel strewn with multiple intersections and changes of direction.

Mostly signposted, the course also has a link of about sixty kilometers without signposts that must be followed in the road-book only … it smacks of CP (Passage Control).

And for the night it will be…

The night stage has a particularity: it will start during the day! Indeed, the difficulty in finding a sufficient number of volunteers, who by definition are there only to provide service for free (taking this said a particular pleasure …), today implies getting closer to their desires..

As the usual night races usually end very late at night, it is necessary to take into account the fate of the many marshals present on the race and avoid making them endure too long hours of service on the sides of the road..

Also, out of respect for them, the timing of the night program has been kept to a minimum. With a start of the night stage scheduled for 7:00 p.m., and a first special from Roeze, around sixty riders go through this "night" special before sunset (a start is given every minute)…

In the end, no one complained about it: you have to know how to make certain concessions … After this first night / day special, a link almost identical to that of the day should lead us to Besse sur Braye for the second night special, this one being done at night for everyone this time !

New trap link without signs and return to Roeze for a third and final special of the night stage, then end of the rally at La Suze, less than 10km later.

A little nod to Jacques Bolle, the president of the FFM who came to attend a large part of the race. More and more enchanted by this passionate discipline, Mr. Bolle stayed until the start of the Classics, which left almost last. !

Marcus HIMSELF

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