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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…
