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False airs of Bernard Darniche, but the hair is real, from the top of his 80 years Georges Besson and his Renault Frégate of 1958 are undoubtedly not the youngest of the set! Whatever, Georges still likes driving as much as ever, he who has just finished 3rd in the last Tour de France Auto on a factory Alpine A310 takes the same pleasure at the wheel of his old Frégate. With it, he still has 3 Paris – Beijing Rallies to his credit! For the anecdote, Georges drives without assistance and will make the return from Monaco to his native Angouleme at the wheel of his valiant Grandmother, Respect! 
The Ardéchois Sunday kept all its promises with its gastronomic menu of 4 Regularity Specials, including the famous Burzet and Saint Bonnet le Froid.
At the end of the day there were 4 winners and 4 different brands that shone at the top of the time sheets:
• In the SR5: La Croze / Saint-Andéol-de-Vals (41,03km) : Keller Ermanno / Verini Maurizio impose their Audi Quattro.
• In the SR6: Burzet / Saint-Martial (30,49Km), it is the Gapençais Durand Raymond / Cholesterols Sébastien on Opel Kadett GTE who take the first step of the podium.
• In the loop Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid / Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid (26,88km) of the SR7, the Renault crew Prevot Florent / Prevot Gregory on Renault 17 TS makes the brand shine!
• Last race of the day, the SR8: Lalouvesc / Labatie-Labatie-d’Andaure (18,59Km), the Monegasque crew Sbaratto Jean-Philippe / Verda Nicolas on Volkswagen Golf GTI concludes the day by illustrating itself.
In the evening of this day, at the end of the stage of classification Valence – Valence, the podium is the following one:
1st Aiolfi Maurizio / Merenda Carlo on Lancia Beta 1800
2nd Cornet de Ways Ruart Antoine / Cornet de Ways Ruart Philippe on Porsche 911
3rd Ochagavias Alvaro / Macho Gomez Manuel on Porsche 911.
With 4 new SRs, tomorrow looks like being another difficult day between the weather conditions and the level of fatigue that will not fail to increase, nothing will be played … until Monaco!
The 250 crews still in the run for the 24th Monte Carlo Historic Rally took the start of the RS1, in the iconic Col de Bleine. The first competitor started at 7.50 a.m. 
The inaugural 15.39km stage took place in a spring sunshine but with temperatures of almost -10 degrees, which did not dampen the spirits of the passionate spectators who had come in large numbers to enjoy the royal line-up for this edition. The first day of racing promises to be busy with 4 RS on the menu, bringing the competitors to Valencia from 4:50 pm. 
After the CH of Buis les Baronnies where the spectators had once again responded present, the crews followed for the SR3 Eygalayes – Montauban sur l’Ouvèze. 30km long, this penultimate event of the day had a sequence of 2 passes, Saint -Jean and Perty via the Dromoise capital of the Rally, Laborel.
Some of the competitors had put on the studded tyres but the almost 15 degrees of this afternoon Dromois had been right of the last traces of ice.
The CH of Crest signs the (almost) end of a hard and long day with 4 SR. This 4th timed section, Sainte Jalle – Rémuzat, passed by the Soubeyrand pass, also free of snow but with a breathtaking view. Only 30 small kilometers remained to join Valence and its famous Champ de Mars, from 16h50 for the first car…
This 24th edition of the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique has been launched this Thursday. A total of 256 competitors have officially set off yesterday from three cities whose names resonate in the history of the Monte Carlo: Bad-Homburg, Milan and Reims.
Before to arrive in the Principality of Monaco today from 13:40, the competitors had to face the long journey of the concentration course, in winter conditions. Let’s take a look back on this first day in pictures and figures.
In the early afternoon, the 26 competitors set off from the town of Bad-Homburg, located at the gates of the large Frankfurt am Main. During this concentration stage, 2 time controls (Langres / Saint-André-les-Alpes) and 3 passage controls (Dole / Lons-le-Saunier / Monestier-de-Clermont) will be on the program of the crews in this long way that will bring them to the Principality of Monaco this Friday evening, which means in numbers a total of 1154 km to digest.
110 crews took the start in the early evening from Italy in the city of Milan. The Departure start was given on Corso Venezia, in front of the buildings of the Automobile Club of Milan (ACI).
A first Passage Control for them in Piemont in Pinerolo, then they headed to Gap for a Time Control (from 6.30am) and Saint-André-les-Alpes (from 10.40am). They will be the first to arrive in the Port of Monaco in the early afternoon. In total, this will represent 664km to cover.
It was in the “City of French Kings” that 120 competitors took the start on this Thursday evening. Despite the cold weather and a light drizzle, the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique was as popular as ever.
The 954km route through the vineyards of the Champagne region started with three Time Controls (Épernay, Vitry-le-François, Bar-sur-Aube). They will then head for Aube and Haute-Marne with a crossing of Colombey-les-Deux-Églises and Chaumont before reaching Langres for a first-time control from 00:35.
Then 3 new controls to be crossed (Dole / Lons-le-Saunier / Monestier-de-Clermont) to reach Saint-André-les-Alpes (from 12:46) and Monaco (from 15:46).
Copyrights: Jean-Marie Biadatti / Automobil Club von Deutschland / Giorgio Stirano / Jean-Marc Haible
Finally, the Italians Aghem / Cumino win this XXI° edition of Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, it’s the second victory for the Aghem’s family, as Marco his son already win in 2005. Behin them, the Greek crew, extremly reliable, Delaportas / Moustakas with their Golf GTI (n°126) then the cute Zastava 1100 of the Pole Postawka / Postawka (n°249).
Tuesday night, as usual, The 2 last ZR of Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique shaked up the rankings.
In Sospel-Lantosque, as in 1977, it’s a Lancia Stratos (Perfetti/Kessel) which winned and the unluckiest are Durand/Chol and even more the former leader Bruns/Westenburger, forced to retire due to engine failure in the ZR. In back, in the back the battle rages between Aghem/ Cumino, Delaportas/Moustakas and Hansen/Brodersen. It’s St Sauveur-Beuil, the last ZR, which decided of the podium. A struggle between Lancia Fulvia and Golf GTI, as thes two model car have trusted the 5 first ranks of the ZR, as a matter of fact the Opel Kadett GTE of Durand/Chol loose it 5th rank !
Finally, the Italians Aghem/ Cumino win this XXI° edition of Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, it’s the second victory for the Aghem’s family, as Marco his son already win in 2005. Behin them, the Greek crew, extremly reliable , Delaportas/Moustakas with their Golf GTI then the cute Zastava 1100 of the Pole Postawka/Postawka.
A special nod to the finishers : Fréquelin/Perquin, first crew of the R5 Alpine of Renault Classic, Eléna/Campana , stronger than the pain and of course to the Sabys, father and son who managed to bring their tiny and so slow Vespa back in Monaco .
«Bravo» for All and rendez-vous for the XXII° edition of Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique.
Sunday was the first day of ranking : «Valence-Valence» (roughly 364 km ) with 4 regularity zones, the first one ended with the well known stop in front of «la Remise», property of Yves Jouanny, in the city of Antraigues ( and his famous apple pie ) !
This mythical inn was a compulsory passage for pilots and crews for more than 46 years, and now a great opportunity, due to the passage of Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, to perpetuate a half century tradition.
For the greatest happiness of all.
La Remise ? «the place to be !» for any real pilot…
© Jo Lillini
The first screws leaved yesterday from Glasgow, Scotland, ( 12 cars) and Oslo, Norway, ( 18 cars ). Today the 4 others Starting Cities ( Reims, Bad Hombourg, Barcelone and Monaco ) welcome the crews for admistrative checks and scrutineering.
All the news of the 21st Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique in “Le Quotidien”
