Road rallies – A rally tailored for Laroche –

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A rally cut out for Laroche

Road rallies - A rally tailored for Laroche -

It was in the magnificent Nice hinterland that the final round of the French Rally Championship was held this weekend: a course with a simple but superb layout, carved into the flanks of the southern pre-Alps on the roads viroleuses. Report.

It is in the magnificent region of the Nice hinterland that the final round of the French Rally Championship was held this weekend..

A link course with a simple but superb layout, carved into the flanks of the southern pre-Alps, with twisty and gravel roads: outright rally! Report.

Customers

The state of the forces involved:

  • Gregory Debize must finalize his scratch champion title,

  • the mono title is in balance for Alain Amblard,

  • Thierry Canazzi has practically the Sport category in his pocket,

  • the Guillet / Nivet crew must ensure side

  • everything remains to be done between Gerard Rolland and Pierre Godart for the first place in Classics

On the Topsport side, Greg pocketing the title and Yves Constantin absent, the other two places on the podium will be played out between Florent Parret and … Marc Troussard (me, what!). Big gas in perspective…

The decor

This traditional rally at the end of the championship, more commonly called "the rally of Nice", takes place as for several years in Roquebilière, a very welcoming Provencal village where idleness sets the tone for the organization and running of the event..

Thus, after a very tolerant technical control, the 90 competitors present set off for the mountain. On the program: a 68 km course full of switchbacks and precipices with two specials, Loda and Peira Cava, to be covered three times during the day and twice at night.

The mix of different styles of specials is particularly interesting: Loda’s one is contested on a very narrow and very gravel road with a length of 7km … Very fast at the start and bendy at the end, it is a special for monos! The second, Peira Cava, includes a climb of the Col du Turini by an unusual face, while fast, nickel asphalt, large row at the beginning allowing the sportswomen to reach speeds close to 200 km / h, then beautiful curves at the end. , all this in 4.8 km of happiness !

Thomas Laroche or Master Loda

Thomas Laroche immediately sets the tone on the handlebars of his Yamaha 450 WR by scratching the first special, Loda, two seconds ahead of Alain Amblard! He will then win all the scratches of this special, improving his extraterrestrial times by nearly … 12 seconds between the first and the last passage of the day, leaving all the best times of Peira Cava to his friend Emmanuel Siaux.

An equally astonishing Manu, achieving astounding times in the Peira Cava special that one would have thought favorable to sportswomen! Slamming 2’58 "04 on the handlebars of his Yamaha 450 WR on the first pass in front of two local riders, Pierre Beretta (Aprilia 550 SXV) and D. Dalmasso (KTM 520 EXC), he will descend to 2’55" 48 during the third day pass, followed by Thomas.

The CMPN (the National Police team) therefore strikes very hard: its two quality recruits win in front of the experience of Alain Amblard and his KTM 660 SMC who will be content with third place in the daytime scratch..

For the CMPN, Manu would have overshadowed Thomas for the Mono classification of the championship if he had been ahead of him at this rally. He knew it, but didn’t force anything: "I know I shouldn’t win here, but I don’t need to brake myself, Thomas is undoubtedly the strongest !", he admits to Moto-Net.

Pellet…

Small ball from the organization to the detriment of Mickael Pefaure, reigning French champion in the Sport category, victim of bad information at the start of the first day special that he was told "not timed" following technical problems … he will then mount his stage reasonably and will normally be counted! Covered 26 seconds slower than in the following passage, this dubious special will cost him the podium of the category in the rally general….

Night

Few changes in the classifications during the night stage, apart from the side-cars where the leading team of the French championship, Guillet / Nivet on Hechard 1300 GSXR, after winning the day stage in its category, will be the victim of a clean and frank rupture of the swinging arm in full special. He must have passed too close to the rocks…

Suddenly, following the retirement of Guillet / Nivet, it is the reigning champion crew of Sam Gache / Chanal and his team of 1000 Kawasaki that take the first place of the sides at this Rally of Mounta Cala.

Finally

It is therefore Thomas Laroche who wins hands down this Mounta Cala 2006, in front of his sidekick Emmanuel Siaux and Alain Amblard, the former who will confess "there, I can not drive faster, I am at the max !"… Thomas, a police officer at the Frejus police station, comes from off-road endurance racing where he was league champion. A big customer next year !

Hats off to Thierry Lozano (Aprilia 1000 RSV) who confirms his performance at Dourdou by setting the best times at Topsports. Unfortunately, penalized by 15 seconds during a bad score at a CH, he won second place in the category just behind the excellent Florent Parret, CMPN driver on BMW HP2, who finished 4th in scratch ahead of your servant, Marc Troussard, the Moto-Net rider himself, who inaugurated the colors of the net motorcycle newspaper on his FZ6 in preparation for the Dark Dog Moto Tour (Cannonball paint and Ixon leather). The places obtained at this rally for the Topsports are then respectively those of the classification of the category in the 2006 championship..

In Mono, Thomas Laroche takes down the timpani by winning the place of leader to Alain Amblard and obtains the title of champion Mono.

As for the Classics, good operation for Gerard Rolland who finds himself champion of the old ones.

While on the dark side…

Mission accomplished for Greg Debize, the new French scratch rally champion: by securing his title without splintering, he will still finish the event in 4th place in Topsport and 8th scratch.

"Now I’m going to take a break, savor my title and then we’ll see for 2007"He announces. He will certainly swap his old Suzuki 750 GSXR from the year 2000 for a new model next year … To be continued !

A rally in Corsica !

In Sport, Thierry Canazzi won the 2006 champion title riding his KTM 400 EXC ahead of Michael Pefaure, outgoing champion on Yamaha 400 WR, and Daniel Dunaud in clear progress on his KTM 400 EXC. Thierry was also the bearer of excellent news during this Mounta Cala rally: the opening of the 2007 championship will be in Corsica. !

"We are preparing a magnificent race", he assures:"10 km specials on the WRC automobile track, no gravel road like that everyone will be at ease and the sportswomen will have their place! The rally will include a closed park on the beach with Porticcio as the core and a loop of around 100 kilometers. The organization negotiates maximum reduced prices for crossings and accommodation. With a less expensive entry than another event, it will not cost much more than a rally on the continent ", he explains to Moto-Net with his sunny accent.

The dates have already been booked: it will take place on February 24 and 25. So book your registration quickly because the first to arrive will be the first to serve! For all information and reservations, write to: .

The 2007 season promises to be rich in events and 2006 was only the bottom of the wave with its four championship events. Roll on next year !

A few of the rallymen are now getting ready for the Dark Dog Moto Tour, so check out Moto-Net from September 23rd. !

Marcus HIMSELF

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