Road rallies – Rally of Corsica: Imperial Piazza! – The race

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Rally of Corsica: Imperial Piazza !

Road rallies - Rally of Corsica: Imperial Piazza! - The race

As expected, it was Paul-Christian Piazza, the native of the country, who won everything this weekend and won the 6th Corsica rally on the handlebars of his KTM 450 EXC. A customer for the final title? Report.

The race

Great sun this Saturday morning on the beach of Porticcio: let’s go for the sixth Rally of Corsica! It shakes up in the first part of the road, the rutted routlets of deep Corsica are not the most relaxing, but the hourly average (down to 50 km / h due to the many villages crossed) is quite feasible by looking at the landscape.

After about fifty kilometers of this touristic-rallying road route, we are finally in Bocognano, at the CH de la Baraque à Cochons, for the first special.

Paul-Christian Piazza does not make a quarter and immediately displays his infernal pace on the handlebars of his KTM 450 EXC by slamming a time of 3’14.40 ahead of Biancucci Carulu and his KTM 990 SMR (3’17.55) and a third Corsica, Bruno Langlois on Ducati 1100 Streetfighter (3’18.20). The leader of the 2012 French championship, Julien Toniutti (KTM 990 Superduke), is classified fourth time, first "continental" driver (3’18.54). Foul on the other hand for another favorite, Michel Marchini on Honda 450 HM, who loses the front and falls, fortunately without gravity. He leaves quickly but loses about twenty seconds in the mishap.

At the second special of the layout, Piazza repeated and took the best time in 2’13.42 ahead of the Honda 450 HM of Michel Marchini (2’16.89) and the KTM 990 SMR of Biancucci Carulu (2’17.12). The battle is hard for Julien Toniutti but the official KTM France resists the Corsicans on the handlebars of his KTM 990 Superduke and manages to beat Bruno Langlois on his Ducati 1100 Streetfighter (2’18.61 for Julien, 2’19.14 for Bruno).

Around noon, the first loop is completed and a 30-minute break is granted. It is very hot (the temperature is around 30 degrees): at least the tires do not cool down too quickly !

On the second lap no big changes ahead: in Bocognano Paul-Christian Piazza gave us a festival and improved his time by almost 4 seconds compared to the first lap: 3’10.94, a time from another world! He is followed by Bruno Langlois (3’14.68) and Carulu Biancucci (3’15.91).

A small error of appreciation will cost a handful of seconds to Julien Toniutti, pilot Site provisional leader of the French championship: the official KTM France pilot is the victim of a slight straight ride on his KTM 990 Superduke, without consequence other than ” a bad time in this special … The Scratch podium slips away…

At the Pont de la Pierre (special 4), it was again Paul-Christian Piazza who pocketed the best time (2’12.17) ahead of Michel Marchini and his Honda 450 HM (2’14.51) and Jose Compocasso, also on Honda 450 HM (2’17.44).

Behind, on the planet of more realistic times, it is contested in the categories: in sidecar, the Laur / Ferrieu team and its Choda 1300 Suzuki team are standing up to the onslaught of the surprising Choda Benelli 1130 TNT from Marlin / Vignand or even of the Choda 1100 ZZR from another era of the Amblard / Bourdiaux crew.

For the Sport category, Thierry Canazzi on KTM 400 EXC, the provisional leader of the category after the Rallye de la Sarthe, has trouble standing up to his local compatriots such as Laurent Corchia on Suzuki 650 Gladius or Sebastien Padovani on Kawasaki 650 ER6: the three accomplices sail from 12th to 30th place depending on the stages…

In Classic, Nick Ayrton on his Suzuki 1100 GSXR and Patrick Cosnuau on Honda 750 VFR are at loggerheads! As for Site’s "mascot", Dominique Subias and his 125 Yamaha WRX, the holder of the 2011 French 125 champion title has a lot to do against young Jean Laurent Beill on KTM 125 Duke !

Marcus HIMSELF

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