Road rallies – The Rallye de l’Ain seen from the inside: and five for Toniutti! –

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The Rallye de l’Ain seen from the inside: and five for Toniutti !

Road rallies - The Rallye de l'Ain seen from the inside: and five for Toniutti! -

At the end of a hotly contested race, the official Yamaha Racing rider Julien Toniutti riding the MT-09 of Team 2B Deletang Moraco offers his fifth victory at the Rallye de l’Ain after having dominated the 2011, 2012, 2013 editions. and 2014 but Laurent Filleton (1290 Superduke R of KTM Team France CTM83), third, takes the lead of…

At the end of a hotly contested race, the official Yamaha Racing rider Julien Toniutti riding the MT-09 of Team 2B Deletang Moraco offers his fifth victory at the Rallye de l’Ain after having dominated the editions,, and but Laurent Filleton (1290 Superduke R of KTM Team France CTM83), third, takes the lead in the championship. Interior report.

It’s now confirmed: the Dark Dog Rallye Moto Tour is a success! No less than 165 entry requests were registered by UM Ain, organizer of this 77th edition of the Rallye de l’Ain, the fifth round of the 2015 French motorcycle rally championship. The maximum number of registrants has been set. at 150, around fifteen pilots found themselves on the waiting list. Due to last minute withdrawals, 145 competitors will take the start of the rally, giving the friendly village of Cerdon (01) a festive air for a weekend.

If the weather had played the game to the end, everything would have been perfect! But (for once) the forecasters had almost everything right: if the sun inundated the Ain much of the weekend, a torrential rain did load during the night of Saturday….

The race took place despite everything with its two validated stages (day and night).

A complex program…

The route planned for this 77th Rallye de l’Ain is rather complex and rich in specials: no less than 14 time runs are planned in the specials, all divided into seven road loops (four during the day and three at night) and a "blank" passage in the two specials during a prologue, an intelligent process already used last year which allows you to take your "life-size" benchmarks despite the ban on motorbike reconnaissance.

This alternative goes in the direction of the safety of the pilots who, having only been able to cover the stages in a car or van the previous days, can thus validate their theoretical braking or trajectory benchmarks. A method that will most certainly be adopted by the Rally Commission to generalize it to future rallies !

But the loops are not all identical: after a first short prologue lap of 37 km which passes through the two specials, Ceignes (2.4 km) and Merpuis (3.2 km), the first "real" loop is 82km and goes through Poncin, Jujurieux and Châtillon-de-Corneille while the second (81 km) does not go through Poncin and goes much further south. The third, shorter (57 km), borrows parts of the previous loops and the fourth is identical to the prologue.

Finally, the night route only takes up loops 1, 3 and 4. Each of these routes naturally passes through the two stages of Ceignes and Merpuis..

Suffice to say that it is rather better not to get the wrong loops and to follow the road book as precisely as possible. !

Guest stars and forces in attendance

Among the competitors of this 77th Aindienne (?) Aindoue (??) edition of the Rallye de l’Ain, some former top pilots from past championships have come to take advantage of the famous organization of the Union Motocycliste de l’Ain.

This is the case of the famous Nicolas "Crazy" Pautet, Site driver who traded his rally time card for a "Newcomer" Anglo-Irish road racing chasuble (read), who came to rediscover the pleasures of road rallies on the handlebars of a Honda 250 CR 2-stroke hacked in its own way to try to slam a podium in Mono.

Or the ancestor Franck Coudert on the handlebars of his still beautiful Ducati 1200 Multistrada which has not aged a bit, it !

At the top of the ranking of this Dark Dog Rallye Moto Tour 2015, the contenders for the title are ready to fight: Christophe Velardi, rider of Ducati Moto Prestige Ajaccio, leader of the championship, intends to put big gas on the handlebars of its 1200 Multistrada !

The two accomplices of the KTM Team France CTM83, Laurent Filleton (1290 Superduke R) and the young Manceau Florent Derrien (690 Duke R) are also aiming for a full card in terms of the points to be taken on this fifth round of the championship.

Bruno Schiltz, Team MV Agusta Paris Nord Moto Ultimate Driver rider on his 800 Brutale, does not intend to be left behind either….

Finally, the reigning champion, Site rider Julien Toniutti (Yamaha Racing Team 2B Deletang Moraco), has only one idea in mind: to line up a fifth consecutive victory in his favorite event on the handlebars of his MT-09.

It will not be good to cross the road during their passage in special for field mice, squirrels and other wild boar…

starting signal !

Saturday June 13, 10:30 a.m .: start of the first stage of the 77th Ain rally.

This little prologue loop is very nice. Departures are given two by two every 30 seconds and a time is imposed to complete these 37 km at normal speed. Although the non-timed passage in the specials will be used by some to validate their benchmarks, the race management has however recommended not to ride there openly..

Admittedly, traffic will be closed there, but it is not yet the race and some marshals may still be in the process of arranging the safety elements (signs, air fences …). This instruction will be respected and almost no incident will be deplored during this prologue. Would the rallyman become reasonable ?

Back at Cerdon after a small neutralization of a few minutes, the "real" start is given. A pilot every 30 seconds, it deposits !

So far everything has been going well, the weather is fine and even rather hot under the Rhône-Alpes sun. 10 minutes further on, here we are at the start of the first special: Ceignes. "Now it will bleed" I thought, fond of puns with two balls and full of good intentions on the handlebars of my beautiful Yamaha 530 T-Max Deletang, determined to get back to points on Mathieu Bruneau’s Honda 750 Integra !

Julien Toniutti started the race with a bang and took the best time in 1’24.36 ahead of Florent Derrien (1’24.98) and Christophe Velardi (1’25.12). Three top pilots stand in three quarters of a second…

Laurent Filleton is not very far either and is placed 35 hundredths behind Christophe (1’25.47). There will be a fight !

Roadsters and Monos compete for the next places and we find the first Topsport 20th scratch of this special in the person of Sebastien Brugues (Kawasaki ZX6 of Team 212).

For my part, I think I will review my intentions … The excellent Mathieu Bruneau at the controls of his Integra flies over the Scooter category, slamming a 31st scratch time here! The second scooter is none other than Matthieu Perrin (Honda Integra), who also finishes ahead of me but only 13 hundredths, a little less than 7 seconds behind Mathieu Bruneau … which shows that even in a Scooter, driving matters a lot. !

Merpuis is not much further on the course and we reach this second special in little more time than during the first link: we get there in 17 minutes.

And there, same scenario or almost! Julien demonstrates that he is the absolute master on his land (more than an hour and a half away from his home anyway!) And once again places his Yamaha MT-09 n ° 1 at the top of the list of time.

But Laurent Filleton wakes up and takes a position in the shadows 13 hundredths behind Julien (1’53.82 against 1’53.95): things are heating up ahead! The third time, more than a second behind, goes to "the other" KTM boy Florent Derrien.

The road course that follows is superb! Some of the most beautiful roads in the Ain are taken and while the sun heats all it can, some passages in the undergrowth are refreshing. Beauty of the landscapes and the pleasure of riding a motorbike on this magical track make me put into perspective the importance of my unsatisfactory times … It’s good the rally, really good !

Relativizing and positive are the key words of motorcycle rally !

And if the despicable PSR (Road Safety Platoon), implacable behind their binoculars, watch for the inattentive and reckless competitor who will cross an agglomeration at excessive speed (under penalty of penalties of big seconds), it is an incomparable pleasure that that of cross the villages at a slow pace, clapping the hands of kids waiting for the rally to pass on the sidewalks of their town, or see pictures that you would not see while driving faster: a granny waving at her window, hidden behind its planter of geraniums, or a commemorative plaque that adorns a wall above a bank or grocery store entrance in memory of those thanks to whom we live these good times…

Then the road resumes and there you must not sleep, be attentive to the gravel colonies that cross the road without warning, the sometimes vertiginous switchbacks on the mountainside or even at a crossroads where you had to turn left according to the road book…

Speaking of gravel, a nod to François Besson of the Rally Moto Racing team on his HM 125 CRM RR n ° 333 which will be the victim during the day…

Although very fair in built-up areas, he will be surprised by a gravel turn: broken collarbone and head trauma which will generate a concussion erasing the last 24 hours of his previous life….

"Hello, I’m in the hospital here but can you tell me why? Where are we there?", He will ask about twenty times in the evening…

Fortunately, today everything is back to normal and François has reset his neurons in order. !

Back in Cerdon, 15 minutes of assistance are granted and it starts again for a new loop.

It’s "racing atmosphere" on the Central Team challenge side or at Rally Moto Racing / Site !

The second stop in the Ceignes special is modeled on the previous special, at least for the leading trio: 1st Julien, 2nd Laurent and 3rd Florent.

Behind, from the fourth place that goes here to Christophe Velardi, the names change and the gaps too, but times are always tight.

Nice performance this time for the first sidecar which slams a thirtieth scratch time: the Amblard crew on their Suzuki 1300 Hayabusa (and not Mr. and Mrs. Amblard this time, but the illegitimate couple Alain and Olivier Amblard who seem to be- they are neither cousins ​​nor brothers nor homosexual married but just homonymous pals).

Doubt still hangs in the paddocks, but the fact remains that the passenger of the 2014 season of Alain has returned to his basket to replace Edith who has not yet fully recovered from their .

Second special of the lap, fourth of the rally: the situation has changed! This time, Florent Derrien won the pomp and posted the best time with 2 hundredths ahead of his teammate Laurent Filleton (1’53.33 and 1’53.35) !

The reigning French champion Julien Toniutti seems to calm things down and gets the third time … 19 hundredths behind the best !

The fourth fastest time goes to Bruno Schiltz, 44 hundredths behind the fastest. It is therefore in less than 5 tenths that the four best pilots are held … You said tight ?

In the third loop, at the Ceignes special, there are many twists and turns: Florent Derrien riding his 690 Duke R n ° 3 gets the best pendulum (1’21.99) ahead of Julien Toniutti (1’22, 53) and Laurent Filleton (1’22.93).

At Merpuis, for the 3rd lap in time, Laurent Filleton is ahead of everyone in 1’52.19 ahead of Florent Derrien (1’52.73), Bruno Schiltz (1’52.98) and Julien Toniutti (1’53.32 ).

The course is always so pleasant whatever the loops. It is really good to ride a motorbike in the area! Spectators are everywhere in the villages and along the roads. Here, we love the rally. It is also here that the discipline was born more than a century ago, and you can feel it !

The fourth loop of the day is short, identical to that of the prologue.

A last daytime passage (well, we will see below that this will not be the case for everyone …) in each of the two stages and it is over for the first stage.

Ceignes, last passage of this first stage: the official MNC Yamaha Racing rider Julien Toniutti puts everyone in agreement and takes the best time in 1’21.16 ahead of Florent Derrien (1’21.79) and Laurent Filleton (1’22.58).

Nice result on this special for the first Classic, Maxence Sonilhac (Yamaha 240 TDR), who obtained a 29th scratch time in 1’31.03.

We continue with the Merpuis special, eighth special of the day and last of the first stage of this 77th rally of the Ain.

Julien Toniutti drives home the point and once again flies over the competition in 1’51.03, more than 7 tenths ahead of his pursuer Florent Derrien (1’51.75). Laurent Filleton is third in 1’52.49.

Return to Cerdon by the slopes overlooking the village, through the vineyards of the Messerli family, one of whose sons, John, has been a recognized pillar of the Rallye de l’Ain for a few years and nevertheless producer of the famous sparkling rose wine strangely named "Cerdon". Almost everyone (a few falls will unfortunately have cost a few the race …) is happy to complete this stage under the sun when the weather forecast for the contrary…

At the end of this first stage, Julien Toniutti leads the dance with 2.61 seconds ahead of the second in the provisional, Florent Derrien, himself 1.11 seconds ahead of Laurent Filleton.

With this result and the fourth place of the current leader, Christophe Velardi, Julien is already recovering some points which will not be negligible for the championship. But Laurent Filleton and Florent Derrien are in ambush: everything is still possible tonight !

Night stage

Logically, a "night" stage should be done at night for all competitors … But the sun is a late eater at the moment and with a first start at 9:00 p.m., it is still daylight when the first s’ rush for this second stage.

They will therefore make their first passage during the day in the two stages … which will not be the case for the following ones! Another point on which the Rally Commission will soon have to work: the pilots’ delegate, Marc Troussard, will not fail to underline this detail, knowing however that it is not always easy to do what you want at the level of night running times…

In short, it starts again for theoretically three loops … but another uncontrollable natural element must be taken into account and if about sixty riders who started first have done their stages in the dry, the rain slowly makes its appearance over the passages….

It is certainly only a few drops that will not bother most of the riders in the first part of the route more than that, but these showers will suddenly take the form of a real storm during the stage. !

The specials being located in the first half hour of the layout, the 112 survivors of the first stage who will take the start of this so-called "night" stage will pass practically all the stages more or less properly (between dog and wolf for some, downright at night for the last).

By the way, Julien Toniutti trustees the best times on the two stages of the first loop. He is followed by Florent Derrien and Laurent Filleton at Ceignes, respectively at 1.69 and 2.03 seconds, and by Laurent Filleton and Florent Derrien (2.44 and 3.08 seconds) at Merpuis.

The first Topsport, Sebastien Brugues riding the Kawasaki ZX-6 n ° 120 of Team 212 finished in 16th place at Ceignes and 15th at Merpuis.

We find the first Sport2, Maxime Mettra on the handlebars of his Kawasaki 650 Versys, in 24th place in Ceignes (19th in Merpuis), Maxence Sonilhac, the first Classic and his Yamaha 240 TDR 25th in Ceignes (34th in Merpuis) ​​or the first female, reigning French champion in the category, Sonia Barbot at the controls of her Suzuki 1000 GSX-R, 26th scratch at Ceignes and 28th at Merpuis.

On the Scooters side, Mathieu Bruneau largely confirmed his superiority by ranking 35th and 30th scratch respectively on these two stages of the first loop. Ditto in Sidecars where the masters of the category, the Amblard Alain and Olivier, place their Suzuki 1300 hayabusa team in 32nd and 25th position.

The course that follows has a surprise in store for us: while sometimes only a few drops fell over the kilometers, a violent wind suddenly arrives accompanied by a downpour increasing in intensity in a few minutes to become downright torrential. !

Storm under a helmet !

Motorcyclist faith, former long-haul backpacker and rallyman for several decades (from two we say several, right?) I had never seen this before !

Downpours similar to those that fall from Niagara Falls, the road that turns into a flooding river and visibility that is close to 2 meters … The apocalypse !

The marshals of the passage controls cling to their barnums as best they can, the trees cross the road and a marshal beacons one with his chasuble to avoid an accident, etc..

For my part, I manage to finish this first loop like most of the competitors and I am not surprised when on my arrival in Cerdon, the race direction decides to stop everything at the end of this first loop..

The storm has passed but it is still raining intensely and we are not immune to a new passage similar to the one we had just experienced further on the course. It is indeed more prudent to end the festivities there before they become tragic..

The first pilots left for their second loop of the stage before the decision of the race director. Before they were informed of this premature stop to the rally, some of them had therefore made their second passage in the Ceignes special. Bad luck for Florent Derrien, who made a mistake on the special before being informed of the stoppage of the race and was injured !

The rally having been declared finished at the end of the first loop, Florent Derrien having fallen after this official stop will still be classified according to his results obtained before the end of the officially declared race..

The fact remains that he suffers from probable fractures in his right wrist and tailbone! To be confirmed in future exams … Let us hope that he recovers as soon as possible to be able to continue this Dark Dog Rallye Moto Tour 2015 in the places of honor he has obtained so far !

This 77th Ain rally is therefore won for the fifth time in a row by Julien Toniutti ahead of Florent Derrien and Laurent Filleton.

Congratulations also to the 125 4-stroke, a category that the Rally Commission intends to expand with the addition of an "Open" sub-category which would accept 2-strokes (conditions to be defined for 2016). Victory for Romain Cauquil (Yamaha 125 YZF R), ahead of Germain Perrot (Husqvarna 125 S) and Kevin Cheylan (MZ 125 SM, third following a heavy penalty awarded due to excessive speed in built-up areas noted by the PSR).

By doing the accounts, we see Laurent Filleton at the top of the provisional championship classification followed by his teammate Florent Derrien two small points behind. Christophe Velardi is four points behind Florent and Julien Toniutti just one point behind Christophe.

The first four places are therefore held in a pocket handkerchief: from memory, a scratch title has never been so contested! The next event, the Rallye du Dourdou in Villecomtal (12) on July 3 and 4, may also be very hot….

To follow naturally very closely on MNC: stay connected !

Marcus HIMSELF

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