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The Hyundai Nexo of Ludovic Braley and Antoine Jouve, powered by hydrogen, had started the second day of the 6th E-Rally Monte-Carlo well, by winning SR4. They did it again in SR6, between Sablières and Rocles (22 km), and again ahead of the Kia EV6 of Jacques Pastor and Fulvio Gazzola, as in SR4. This time, the Pastor-Gazzola duet was tied with four other crews from four different brands, but it did not prevent the Kia crew to retain the lead in the overall classification that they took as soon as SR4 early in the morning.
They were at the top of the overall standings on Wednesday evening when returning to Valence at the end of Day 1. They stood out again on Thursday morning in the RS5 (16km) between Seyras and Grimaldes: Karel Colibert and Nathalie Zbinden, in their VW ID5 sporting the colors of Monaco’s Department of Urban Development, achieved the best result in front of a whole series of male drivers tied for 2nd place, including Michelin-starred chef Michel Chabran (Renault Mégane) and Olivier Campana (BMW i4).
One of the absolute icons of the hippy world is back, 60 years later. The team made of Noam Grootvriendt and Olivier Van Hoorebeke, entered by the Belgium VW Club, has started this 6th edition of the Monte-Carlo E-Rally driving the VW ID Buzz N.31. Enough to create a lot of buzz a few days before Halloween. This is a rather unique model, since the production versions will only hit the French roads from next January.
An unmissable stage for most of Monte-Carlo rallies, this 6th edition of the E-Rally was no exception to the rule… as evidenced by this table mixing starred chef Michel Chabran with professional and amateur drivers such as Denis Carreaux. The Editor in chief of local daily Nice Matin spent some time chatting with Yves Jouanny, the grand master of the eternal Remise, still wonderfully managed by the whole of the Jouanny family.
On the menu of the 2nd day of the 6th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, the Ardèche roads promised a lot. And the first regularity stage of the morning (SR4, Saint-Priest – Mirabel, 21.5km) did not disappoint with another brand, and another source of energy, at the top of the timesheet: Hyundai, as the Nexo of Ludovic Braley and Antoine Jouve, propelled by hydrogen, did better than the Kia EV6 of Jacques Pastor and Fulvio Gazzola. This 2nd place allowed this Kia to take the overall lead of the rally, ahead of the DS3 Crossback of Alexandre Stricher and Thierry Benchetrit, 3rd in RS4 and now 2nd overall.
Formerly a stronghold on the WRC route, the municipality of Privas received for the very first time the 100 % electric version of of RallyeMonteCarlo, Thursday morning, at the start of a day planned on the magnificent and selective roads of Ardèche! The Vals les Bains team of ASA Ardèche has not lost their hand and brilliantly ensured Privas Control Point, early in the morning, for 54 crews arriving straight from Valence.
The Belgium VW Club dominated the 3rd and last regularity stage of this 1st day, between Gigors-et-Lozeron and Combovin (16 km). Antoine Dechamps and Michael Salvador (ID4) beat the Combi VW ID Buzz of Noam Grootvriendt -Olivier van Hoorebeke, who had already taken 3rd place in SR1. Whereas the winners of this same SR1, Didier Malga and Anne-Valérie Bonnel (Porsche Taycan), took 3rd place, tied with seven other crews. VW also took the lead of the rally at the end of the day, with Karel Colibert and Nathalie Zbinden (ID5) ahead of Jacques Pastor and Fulvio Gazzola in their superb Kia EV6.
In the second timed stage of the afternoon, between Sainte-Croix and Beaufort-sur-Gervanne (SR2, 21 km), everything changed and four other brands moved to the top of the standings: Kia, thanks to Guido Guerrini and Artur Prusak in a Niro won ahead of the Tesla 3 of the Fresquet couple (Raoul and Caroline), and a couple of cars sharing the 3rd place, the MG ZS of Carlos Sergnese and Laura Bermudez and the DS3 Crossback of Alexandre Stricher, the winner in 2018, and Thierry Benchetrit. Also noteworthy in this SR2, a 7th place for Denis Carreaux, Editor in Chief of local daily Nice Matin, in a BMW i4 that he shares with Virginie Decorte (107.7 FM).
He is a former FIA world champion in the electric and alternative energy rally field, he has already won the E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, has often been on the podium in Monaco, so it’s not a surprise: Didier Malga took the first win of this 6th E-Rally Monte-Carlo, in SR1 around Barbières (36km). Driving a Porsche Taycan, with the ever faithful Anne-Valérie Bonnel in the right seat, the Auvergne driver beat Gilles Gard and Alain Gazal in their Peugeot e-208, and the surprising Volkswagen ID Buzz of Belgian crew Noam Grootvriendt-Olivier van Hoorebeke, entered by the Belgium VW Club.
Three brands leading the field of electric mobility stood out during the first day of the 6th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, each winning a Regularity Special around Valence. Porsche, Kia and Volkswagen took turns in showing the quality of their crews and cars at the top of the timesheets, with a special mention for VW, the undisputed leader on Wednesday evening.
