Les concurrents engagés dans le 56e Rallye International du Valais affrontaient aujourd'hui trois épreuves spéciales entre le parc d'assistance de Sion et le Haut-Valais. Craig Breen et sa Peugeot 208 T16 R5 a remporté Leukerbad (Loèche-les-Bains), Crans-Montana et Anzère pour se forger une avance de 15"4 sur son plus proche rival, le Suisse Olivier Burri, l'octuple vainqueur de l'épreuve valaisanne, au volant d'une Citroën DS3 RRC. Autre protagoniste du Championnat d'Europe des Rallyes de la FIA, Alexey Lukyanuk (Ford Fiesta R5) occupe la troisième place provisoire. Le pilote russe a concédé 22"9.
Quatrième aux commandes de sa Porsche GT3, le Champion FIA RGT 2015 François Delecour pointe à 40"5 de l'homme de tête et précède la Citroën DS3 R5 du Tchèque Miroslav Jakes, la Ford Fiesta R5 du Suisse Pascal Perroud, les Peugeot 208 T16 R5 du jeune Suédois Emil Bergkvist (21 ans) et du Portugais Bruno Magalhães, la Peugeot 207 S2000 du Suisse Florian Gonon et la 208 T16 R5 d'un autre Suisse, Jonathan Hirschi. Les six derniers pilotes de ce top-10 provisoire sont séparés par moins de 12", le passif de Hirschi s'élevant à 52"2. Parmi les ténors, Bryan Bouffier manque à l'appel. Une sortie de route sans gravité dans la première épreuve spéciale a contraint le Français à un abandon définitif.
Sans surprise, le Hongrois David Botka (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) a pris la tête du classement de l'ERC2 avec la 15e place du classement général à la clé, tandis que le Roumain Alexandru Filip (Renault Clio R3), 40e au général, mène le bal dans le cadre de l'ERC3. Quant au Suisse Michaël Burri, 27e au classement général, il s'est emparé du commandement du Clio R3T Alps Trophy avec 23"9 d'avance sur le Français Jean-Pierre Gatti. La Bulgare Ekaterina Stratieva (Citroën C2 R2) tient solidement les rênes de la Coupe des Dames en 64e position au classement général.
Craig Breen has taken an early lead on the Rallye International du Valais, after recording his first clean run through the opening leg of the Swiss round of the FIA European Rally Championship. The Peugeot Rally Academy driver set fastest time on all three opening stages, to lead overnight by 15.4 seconds.
The Irishman lost all hopes of victory last year when he picked up a puncture on the Anzère test, and despite admitting to being “paranoid” in his attempts to avoid another flat on his run through the same stage this time, three faultless stages today have given Breen and co-driver Scott Martin the advantage as they arrived back in Sion for the first overnight halt.
Despite lacking some match-practice and a mid-loop intercom problem, eight-time Valais winner Olivier Burri is second in his Citroën DS3 RRC, and poised to attack Breen’s lead on tomorrow’s seven stages.
The Swiss mountain Tarmac roads are nothing that Alexey Lukyanuk has seen before, and a cautious experience-gaining pace has paid dividends, as the Russian is third overnight in his Pirelli-equipped H-Racing prepared Russian Performance Motorsport Ford Fiesta R5.
The slippery hairpin filled Alpine roads are hardly ideal territory for a powerful rear-wheel drive car, not when pitched against nimble four-wheel drive machinery, but magic things happen when François Delecour gets behind the wheel of a Porsche 997. The new FIA R-GT champion is fourth overnight, admitting to driving “maximum everywhere”.
Jakeš recovered from gear linkage problems in Free Practice to hold fifth in his Gemini Clinic Rally Team Citroën DS3 R5.
Emil Bergkvist has made a very impressive start on his R5 debut. The 21-year old Swede is driving a Michelin-shod 208 T16 run by Saintéloc Racing as a prize-drive for winning the ERC Junior title, and is a fantastic seventh overnight – one place ahead of Bruno Magalhães in an identical car.
Others haven’t enjoyed such a good trouble-free start. Raul Jeets had an engine problem with his MM-Motorsport Ford Fiesta R5, which forced him to turn the anti-lag system off and run in road mode for virtually all three stages. Jonathan Hirschi damaged the front of his Peugeot 208 T16 after braking too late for a tight downhill corner. Nikolay Gryazin successfully completed his first ERC stage in his ŠKODA Fabia R5, but the 18-year old Russian lost a minute with a front right puncture on SS2. Antonín Tlusťák also picked up a front right puncture on his Fabia S2000 on SS3.
Having been second fastest over the Qualifying Stage, Bryan Bouffier ran wide on a fast right hand corner on the opening stage – hitting a wall and retiring his Peugeot 208 T16 with a broken left rear wheel and smashed brake disc.
