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On the road to the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, episode 3
The Team des Chefs paid a touching tribute to the memory of its friend, H.E. Didier Guillaume, who was also the Minister of State of the Principality of Monaco. The former senator from the Drôme region, who died suddenly on January 17th at the age of 65, took part in last year’s Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique.
They are at a loss for words to describe their friend who passed away far too soon. Didier Guillaume was happiness, gaiety, passion, loyalty and sincerity’ says the Team des Chefs. It was obvious that this 27th edition of the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique could not take place without a tribute being paid to this man of conviction.
Since the start of the event last Thursday, around ten of the cars entered have proudly displayed a sticker bearing a photo of Didier Guillaume with the words: “Pour Didier”. His memory has accompanied these crews on the roads, and will continue to do so for a long time to come.
This was the final regularity stage of the Common Leg of the 27th Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, between Briançonnet and Entrevaux (RS15, 14.1km), via Col du Buis (1196m) and Col de Félines (926m). On the same road where, in January 2022, Sébastien Loeb and Isabelle Galmiche claimed a historic victory, Loeb’s 80th in the WRC, beating Sébastien Ogier and Benjamin Veillas by the narrowest of margins (10.5 seconds) in the final hairpins on the descent to Entrevaux.
This time, a much smaller car, the Austin Mini Cooper S of Italians Giorgio Schon and Francesco Giammarino, finished alone in the lead, with 80 penalty points. And on the roll of honour of this superb stage, we find an explosive cocktail tied in 2nd place, with 100 penalty points: the Jaguar of Lithuania’s Raysis and Meilunas, the Lancia Fulvia of Italians Rossi and Frascaroli, the Porsche 911 turbo of the Rollan family, Alvaro and Juan. While the overall leaders, as reasonable as ever, settled for 7th place, enabling them to consolidate their status as great favourites for the overall win, with a 360-point lead over the BMW 323i of Spaniards Climent Asensio and Jimenez Valls.
Schon and Giammarino have been at the forefront since the start of the rally, when they won the opening stage on Friday morning (SR1). They have already had a successful rally and, as they have never given up anything, their win in SR15 will give them the opportunity to start the Final Leg, from 9pm tonight, in 4th place overall, with a real chance of a podium finish should their compatriots in a Lancia Fulvia, Rossi and Frascaroli, fail on the night of the Turini.
The night of the Turini promises to be formidable, with two stages that are well known to most of the competitors, two monuments where whole pages of the legend of Rallye Monte-Carlo were written. First up is Col de Braus – Lantosque (RS16, 34.4km), with no fewer than four passes to climb, including Col de l’Ablé (1149m), Col de l’Orme (1005m), Col Saint-Roch (990m) and Col de la Porte (1057m), starting at 10.15pm. Then La Bollène-Vésubie – Moulinet (RS17, 22.6 km) will close the race from 11.25pm, with a Special Prize for the Historic Power Stage. The judge of peace, as of every year, will be his majesty the Col de Turini (1607 m). The very first crews, as tired as happy, are expected around 1:10am in Port Hercule…
This stage has written the history of Rallye Monte-Carlo, over the years, on a road nicknamed ‘the road of time’ by the tourist authorities of Alpes de Haute-Provence. And the least we can say is that the favourites took their time, between Sisteron and Thoard (RS14, 32.7 km), via Col de Fontbelle (1304 m), cleared of all the snow that fell in January.
Judge for yourself. The top three in the overall standings finished a long way off the winners, on paper: Belgian leaders Decremer-Hugo in 18th place (100 penalty points), level with third-placed Italians Rossi-Frascaroli, while the runners-up in the provisional classification, Spain’s Climent-Jimenez, finished in joint 51st place (130 points) in this RS14. A stage made easier by the work of the snowploughs of the 04 department, in which the gaps were very close and the ties very numerous.
The day’s bargain, just for prestige’s sake, was made by the crew of the number 67 BMW 2002 TI, Yves and Erwan Ruspeler (60 penalty points), tied with the venerable Citroën SM of Antoine and Philippe Raymond. And as it was a family outing, the podium of this SR14 was completed by the Combiers, Laurent and David (70 points), in another BMW 2002 Ti, tied with Régis Brezun and Elisa-Noémie Laurent, in an Opel Kadett GTE, as well as Gabriel Valentin and Laurent Bertaut, in a Lancia Beta Monte-Carlo. That’s 5 French teams in the top 5 places!
In the overall standings, as we drew ever closer to the grand finale, the night of the Turini, Belgium’s Decremer-Hugo (Alfa Romeo Giulia) were still leading the way, 320 points ahead of Spain’s Climent Asensio-Jimenez Valls (BMW 323i), and 590 ahead of Italy’s Rossi-Frascaroli (Lancia Fulvia). All in all, these three teams are in with a real chance of a podium finish on Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, including just one in the ‘high-average’ category, the Spanish BMW. Only three stages left…
The end of the Common Leg of the 27th Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, on Tuesday morning on the way to Monaco, was a succession of three regularity stages, each more beautiful than the last, starting with RS13 between La Charce and Rosans (12.6km), via Col de Pommerol. It was run early in the morning in temperatures of -5°C, with one notable absentee: Bruno Saby, a former Monte Carlo winner (in 1988, in a Lancia Delta HF), whose Ford Capri has finally given up, due to the clutch issue that appeared on Sunday. The Saby-Marques crew had remained in the Top 15 since the start. It was a pity, as was the retirement on Sunday of the number 3 Lancia Fulvia of Claudio Enz and Cristina Seeberger, the Swiss duo who won RMCH in 2023.
Another retirement on Monday morning was that of the number 26 Porsche 911 SC, for a mechanical reason. The crew, made up of Pierre Bos and Christian Boulanger, handed in their Tripy-R electronic box before leaving the Parc Fermé in Valence. This was before the Alfa Romeo Giulia GT belonging to the Denuzière family, Georges and Xavier, had a problem, forcing the driver to park his Italian beauty on the side of the road, in order not to impede the passage of the other competitors.
At the top of the standings, this RS13 enabled a Lancia Fulvia HF 1.3 to shine, that of Denmark’s Kenneth Simonsen and Otto Kristensen, tied with the Volkswagen GTI of Andrei Ponomarev and Victor Polyakov. These two crews finished ahead of the orange Porsche 924 of Jörg Pohlemann and Marc Stoll, with a smart Martini livery, which had won RS7 on Sunday around Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid.
The overall standings remained unchanged, with Belgium’s Decremer-Hugo (Alfa Romeo Giulia) still leading the way ahead of Spain’s Climent Asensio-Jimenez Valls (BMW 323i) and Italy’s Rossi-Frascaroli (Lancia Fulvia).
This year, for the first time in the history of Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) is introducing the first “Monte Carlo Historique Power Stage” during the last regularity stage (RS17) of this 27th edition.
The modalities of this challenge will be published in a special bulletin at 4:30 pm (article 24.5)
It was the last regularity stage of a very long day, between Recoubeau-Jansac and Pennes-le-Sec (RS12, 16.1 km), and it confirmed what most observers of the 27th Rallye Monte Carlo Historique believe. Victory on Col de Turini, shortly before midnight on Tuesday, is likely to come down to two crews who have dominated this 2025 edition, head and shoulders: the Belgian duo of Michel Decremer and Jennifer Hugo, in an antique 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TI and the Spanish tandem of Luis Climent Asensio and Carles Jimenez Valls, in a slightly more recent BMW 323i (1981).
These two teams finished RS12 in the same order as they had finished RS6 on Sunday afternoon. And the climb over Col de Pennes (1040 m) didn’t trouble them at all, as they were immersed in their battle at the top, before the return to Valence for a final night in the Drôme. They only took 40 penalty points, over 16km, and continued to extend their lead over their theoretical pursuers, who only have five stages left on Tuesday to turn the tables.
In detail, the top two crews in this 27th edition were separated by 220 points after SR6 at midday on Sunday. They are only 300 points apart on Monday evening after SR12, which gives an idea of the intensity of the battle. The Belgians are playing in the low average category, which only involved around thirty crews on Monday morning, and the Spaniards in the high average class, with 170 other cars at the start of the Common Leg.
Another small detail: on Monday evening, there were still 198 cars parked on Champ de Mars in Valence, compared with 203 at sunrise on Monday morning. It’s another sign that the preparation of the cars for a Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique is becoming more and more thorough, more and more serious, more and more perfect, whatever the age of the cars. And there is only one more day to go, this Tuesday, between Valence and Monaco…
Two British citizens, Steve and Tony Graham, in a Lancia Fulvia 1600 HF, put the United Kingdom colours up the mast of the 27th Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, by winning the longest stage on Monday afternoon between Montauban-sur-l’Ouvèze and Roussieux (RS11, 39.2 km). Another classic of the Monegasque rally, via Col de Perty (1302m), Col de Reychasset (1052m) and Col de Pierre-Vesce (1013m).
The Graham family finished the stage with 60 penalty points, level on points with the BMW 323i of the Spanish runners-up in the provisional overall standings, Luis Climent Asensio and Carles Jimenez Valls, who continue to pose a threat to the ultra-solid leaders, Michel Decremer and Jennifer Hugo (Alfa Romeo Giulia TI). It’s a relative threat, however, because the Belgians are holding their own, as evidenced by their 2nd place in this stage, tied with a top-class driver, Bruno Saby, paired with Christophe Marques in the number 38 Ford Capri. Two men who had to ‘mechanise’ instead of having lunch, when the clutch cable on their car failed just before the midday break.
More fear than harm for Saby-Marques, and still the lead of the race for Decremer-Hugo, ahead of the Spanish BMW, the Lancia Fulvia of Italians Rossi and Frascaroli, the Jaguar of Lithuania’s Raysis and Meilunas, the Fiat 128 Rally of Greece’s Georgosopoulos and Iatridis, the small Austin Cooper of Italy’s Schon and Giammarino, the Sunbeam Tiger from Belgium’s Castelein and Plancke, and so on. That’s 11 different makes in the top 11 places, including Bruno Saby’s Ford (11th). The suspense therefore remains total in this 1st part of the Common Leg, before the final stage of the day, RS12, and a welcome return to Valence…
They had to wait until Day 3 of the 27th Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique to win a stage, but it’s finally done. Belgians Michel Decremer and Jennifer Hugo consolidated their position as overall leaders in their 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TI by winning the RS10 between Saint-Nazaire-le-Désert and Chalançon (27.472km) on Monday morning. The first part of this stage was different from Saturday afternoon’s SR4, as it was run in the opposite direction and took in different roads.
The number 200 Alfa, which set off from Reims on Thursday and has been at the forefront since Saturday, left nothing but crumbs for its main rivals. They lost big points on this stage including three passes, run under an immaculate blue sky in freezing cold conditions: Col de Muse (932m), Col de Chamauche (1037m) and Col de La Croix (722m). In second place, surprise, a Mazda RX7 bearing number 77, that of Latvians Karlis Mikelsons and Normunds Vuguls, who had chosen to respect a high average, whereas the Belgians this year chose low averages, hence their race number.
A total of 203 crews took the start this morning in Valencia, 171 in the high-average class and 32 in the low-average category. Winners of three regularity stages already, one each day, including RS4 on Saturday, Spaniards Alvaro Ochagavias Temino and Manuel Macho Gomez (Porsche 911 turbo) were a little less effective in this new version, which was less slippery than Saturday. They had to be content with 7th place, tied with a former winner of Rallye Monte-Carlo, Bruno Saby, in his 1971 Ford Capri 2300 S.
Saby was delighted with this stage, which reminded him of ‘the great days of Monte Carlo’, he confided at the stop point. Alas, a few kilometres further on, on the road section to the midday break, scheduled in Buis les Baronnies, the Capri’s clutch cable broke, causing a lengthy mechanical session. But as a rally driver worthy of the name doesn’t give up in a Monte-Carlo, the Capri set off again. And Saby started the afternoon in 8th place overall…
The first part of the Common Stage of the 27th Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique got underway on Monday morning at 8.40am with a long regularity stage (SR9, 34.9km) between Barbières and Gigors-et-Lozeron, in the Drôme department, via Col des Limouches and Col de Tourniol (1145m). And once again, as in RS4 on Saturday and RS6 on Sunday, Spaniards Alvaro Ochagavias Temino and Manuel Macho Gomez (Porsche 911 turbo 2.4l) ruled the roost.
The crew of the blue Porsche carrying race number 5 did slightly better (only 60 penalty points) than Italians Carlo and Enrico Merenda, in their tiny Autobianchi A112 Abarth (80 points). And better too than Belgians Michel Decremer and Jennifer Hugo, still leading the overall standings in their 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TI. They tied for 3rd in this stage with their compatriots Maxime Castelein and Filip Deplancke (Sunbeam Tiger).
This RS9 was contested on a generally dry road, but the fog, which was very thick over Col des Limouches, from km 20 to 30, made things a little complicated, with visibility in some sections at just 20 or 50 metres, and still a little bit of snow on the road. The fog and snow did not prevent some fine performances, such as Germany’s Jörg Pohlemann and Marc Stoll (5th) in their Porsche 924, after winning RS7 on Sunday afternoon around Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid. And also a fine joint 8th place for the rally’s youngest crew, Jules Picoreau and Camille Béal, in their 1971 Alfa Romeo GTV.
In the overall standings, just as the longest day of the rally had begun, the Decremer-Hugo tandem was still ahead of the BMW 323i of Luis Climent Asensio, a former Spanish rally champion, and Carles Jimenez Valls. And the provisional podium was completed by the best Greeks of the rally at the halfway stage, in the shape of Aris Georgosopoulos and Ioulios Iatridis (Fiat 128 Rally). To be continued.
A superb day of rallying in Ardèche and Haute-Loire ended with a double surprise: the win in RS8 (Saint-Pierre-sur-Doux – Lalouvesc, 14.1km) went to an Opel Kadett GTE, driven by Régis Brezun and Elisa-Noémie Laurent, tied with the Ford Escort RS2000 of James Blakemore and John Buffum, the legendary multiple US rally champion, who is now a co-driver at the very respectable age of 81.
It was a fitting tribute to the longevity of Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, now in its 27th edition, and to the young Jules Picoreau-Camille Béal crew, who were in fine form on Sunday afternoon, taking 4th place in RS8, in their Alfa Romeo GTV, after their 2nd place in RS7. In the overall standings, Michel Decremer, the two-time Belgian winner (2017, 2024), well-assisted by team-mate Jennifer Hugo, continue to lead the way at the end of a perfectly controlled day.
While we’re on the subject of the ladies, a word about the best female crew on this 27th Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, after 8 (out of 17) regularity stages: it’s made up of Carole Grimm, a Swiss, and Ingrid Peeters, a Belgian, in a superb Lancia Fulvia HF 1.6. They are 116th on Sunday evening, putting them in mid-table at the halfway stage, ahead of half a dozen other all-female crews. With a lead of around fifteen places over Frenchwomen Marie Douaré and Danièle Denuzière (133rd), in another red Lancia Fulvia.
With the Common Leg due to start on Monday morning, only 12 retirements have been recorded in the two very intense days of the Classification Stage, added to four on the Concentration Route. There will therefore be 203 cars and crews at the start in Valence on Monday morning, heading for RS9…
