Road rallies – Second rally 2013: Franck Coudert wins the Sarthe – The race day version

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Second rally 2013: Franck Coudert wins the Sarthe

Road rallies - Second rally 2013: Franck Coudert wins the Sarthe - The race day version

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.

The race day version

Saturday 8 am, 140 pilots take the start two by two for a quiet link of about thirty minutes to the Bugatti circuit … The verdict has been reached, without being permanently seated but: it is not raining and the ground is dry !

With only 7 degrees of ambient temperature, it is not a panacea either, but already, with the dry track, the Site / KTM rider (yes, Julien Toniutti!) Will be able to make the horses gallop in his KTM RC8! And there, no detail: he indisputably slams the best time taken on … 3 laps !

Indeed, while attacking his fourth lap, Carlo Scanu the top Corsican pilot riding a KTM 1190 Adventure, who has just been overtaken by Mickaël Porcu’s Husaberg 570 FS, takes off in a high-side at the Dunlop chicane…

The red flags are waved when many drivers have not started their fourth lap. The organization simplifies the problem and decides to take this Bugatti time only on three laps.

Final verdict for Carlo: fracture of the astragalus … HE is therefore "out" for the 2013 championship! Recorded before his fall at the end of the third lap, Carlo’s time corresponds to the 21st scratch time.

Behind Julien Toniutti‘s KTM RC8 the battle is tough: Olivier Ulmann on KTM 990 Superduke is in the Julien’s wheel but he has to be content to follow him. Unable to attempt an attack, he finished less than 3 seconds behind…

"A lap was missing !"Olivier told MNC. Bruno Schiltz took third time on Suzuki 750 GSXR, more than seven seconds behind the leader.

For my part, I am not unhappy: I was a little worried about the behavior of my Yamaha 1200 Super Tenere wearing Bridgestone BT023 on the Le Mans track. Well I was wrong, because these tires are really suitable for my big machine !

No fear, evasion or negative reaction and even if Julien stuck with me almost 20 seconds per lap (43rd fastest time). I was able to exploit the circuit capacities of my big Tenere without any noticeable discomfort or instability. Too fast, I even appear blurry on the photo !

On the side-cars side, congratulations to the Laforest / Beigne crew on their Suzuki 1300 Hechard team (33rd time). He provided a quality show for the few spectators present on the circuit this morning … This crew, a former rallyman, is now competing in the F2 speed sidecar championships and occasionally participates in the 56th rally of the Sarthe "just for fun "! Great driving in any case, bravo !

Here they are ahead of the leaders of the Side-car category of the 2013 French Rally Championship by around twenty seconds, the brothers Alain and Olivier Amblard at the controls of their inseparable and historic team Choda 1100 ZZR (56th time).

Bad luck on the other hand for Guy Marchand, the driver of the Honda 750 Four. Still present on the "Anciennes" podium, he will not be at this edition of the Sarthe … He stuck one in the first lap and must give up (ignition cover torn off, among others .. .).

Let’s go for the long link. For the moment don’t panic, the imposed average is rather quiet and the course is signposted. The weather is gloomy and a few fine droplets of rain appear. Nothing alarming at the moment, the road is still partially dry.

Besse sur Braye, first road special. Slight shift in the original timing due to some problems setting up the stage. But everything quickly returns to order and the departures are launched.

The Monos are back in the forefront and it is also the driver from Manceau Florent Derrien who sets the best time in 2 ‘25.29 on the handlebars of his KTM 690 SM, followed by the Corsican Mickaël Porcu on Husaberg 570 FS in 2’ 26 , 72. Third Tony Chereau, another ASMACO driver on KTM 990 Superduke.

Our KTM rider, Julien Toniutti, is less at the party than on the circuit on the handlebars of his KTM RC8 and is satisfied with the sixth time in 2 ‘28.01 … he manages, in accordance with his chart.

The following link is not arrowed and has several CPs! A real trap if you do not strictly follow the indications in the road-book … But having been warned during the briefing on Friday evening, everyone expected it, which did not prevent some happy gardening parties (look for his route) and caused some penalties to some.

Others have paid differently for the traps of this "pure rally" route, such as Thierry Rouanet, for example, a member of the PSR (Peloton de Securite Routière), one of those guardian angels of the rallies present on the route as a prevention with their police binoculars to moderate the ardor of the most excited…

Riding one of the Yamaha 1200 Super Tenere officially made available to the PSR in order to best perform their function, Thierry was surprised by a wet bitumen patch – with grip close to that of a slab ice – causing a lack of control of your vehicle (that’s how we say no?).

In short, our favorite PSR got one! Like what the danger is present everywhere on the road, not only in the right grip … Thierry suffers from a broken wrist: all the rallymen wish him a speedy recovery (until he can hold binoculars , maybe we have time to finish our championship? But nah, it’s a joke, Thierry!)

We are then back at La Suze for a neutralization – shortened by half an hour to make up for the time lost at the start of the Besse sur Braye special – allowing the drivers to eat after this long morning..

And it sets off again for a very short connection to Roëze sur Sarthe, a Sarthoise village, bordering the Suze, where the second road special is drawn. Nick Ayrton is smiling on the handlebars of his antique Suzuki 1100 GSXR after his fine performance this morning on the Bugatti circuit (13th fastest time): he is well ahead of the classic category…

As expected, a careful sweeping has been carried out and the stage is "almost" clean … with however a thin layer of earth at critical points such as heavy braking or other curves. You will still have to take it easy when it comes to grip requests, especially when braking and accelerating. !

Good bread for light monos as well as for the most efficient of modern large-displacement cars and their ABS and anti-slip electronic assistance equipment…

Franck Coudert, leader of the Veteran category since his fourth "Scratch" place in the Garrigues rally on the handlebars of his Ducati 1200 Multistrada, will apply the electronics of his mount and put on the gas without hesitation !

The CMPN rider got the best time in 1 ‘38.21, six tenths ahead of the native Florent Derrien on the handlebars of his KTM 690 SM. Third time for the management specialist (at least for that of his lead over the Bugatti) and official KTM France Julien Toniutti and his KTM RC8 lumberjack in 1 ‘40,27.

The return to the Suze almost immediately and end of the day stage, in the rain this time … At this moment, the KTM RC8 of the Site pilot leads the dance. He won the day stage with 6.13 seconds ahead of Franck Coudert’s Ducati 1200 Multistrada and 8.71 seconds over Olivier Ulmann’s KTM 990 Superduke..

Marcus HIMSELF

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