Road rallies – Rally of Corsica: the raid of Corsican pilots! – Special of the Stone Bridge

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Corsican Rally: the raid of Corsican pilots !

Road rallies - Rally of Corsica: the raid of Corsican pilots! - Special of the Stone Bridge

Unbeatable on their land, the Corsican pilots have once again proven that they are masters at home. Michel Marchini (Honda 450 HM) wins the 5th Corsica Rally ahead of two other island drivers for a podium with the heads of the Moors !

Special of the Stone Bridge

This time it was Maxime Olivieri on a Husqvarna 450 who had the best time in 2’21”39, six tenths ahead of Paul Christian Piazza riding a Husaberg 570 FS. There are still nine Corsican drivers in the ten best times! First “continental”, Philippe Richelmi is sixth on the handlebars of his Aprilia 1000 RSV in 2’24”94. Nico Derrien is 14th in 2’28”64 and Julien Toniutti 17th in 2’29”17 … Would we have arrived on another planet ?

The return to Porticcio is very short: after about fifteen kilometers by the national road, we are back at the park installed on the beach. Thirty minutes of assistance and it starts again for the big loop, but on wet road this time !

The wet road did not prevent "Maximus" Olivieri from leading his Husqvarna 450 to first place with a record time of 4’54”30, more than seven and a half seconds ahead of the second time set by Jean-François Monti on Honda 450 CRF in 5’01”89! Michel Marchini gets the third fastest time in 5’06”25.

As it does for the snails, the humidity gently wakes up our continental riders and Paul Henri Sebe on the handlebars of a BMW 1000 RR slams the fifth time in 5’14”49 ahead of Nicolas Derrien’s BMW F 800 R (6th time in 5’14”66) and Julien Toniutti’s KTM 990 Superduke (7th time in 5’15”55).

At the following special, the Pont de la Pierre, Michel Marchini slams the best scratch time in 2’25”71, i.e. 1”43 ahead of Carulu Biancucci (KTM 990 SMR) and 2”10 over Carlo Scanu (BMW 450 GX).

The third and last lap of the daytime stage, although shortened by around thirty kilometers, will seem the longest! The rain is indeed constant and stronger and stronger…

So much so that on the Coti penitentiary special, the starts are no longer given: the race management decides to neutralize the special because of a thickening fog which makes it too dangerous. Departures are therefore given again from the entrance of the special which is taken this time as a link.

But the shortened link which takes us to the Pont de la Pierre is no more restful: the small Corsican roads, more winding than sinuous, do not allow us to gain much speed and the hourly average has nevertheless fallen to 55 km / h n is not so easy to hold !

The 5 having been neutralized, here we are at the start of the special 6, the Pont de la Pierre, for a third passage.

Michel Marchini drives home the point and scratches the special in 2’27”77, 4”98 ahead of Carlo Scanu and 5”20 ahead of Maxime Olivieri. After these five specials, none of the best times having taken penalties for delay, it is indisputable that the leading trio of the provisional of this event is insular !

On the Team Site side, we are saving the furniture: Julien does his utmost on the handlebars of his KTM 990 Superduke, Nicolas "Crazy" Pautet does what he can among the Elite riders on his Yamaha FZ8 and it’s war between Michel Bonneau’s KTM 990 Superduke and my Yamaha FZ8 to try to be the third rider who will bring points to the team !

Marcus HIMSELF

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