Leg 3: full of surprise

Between new routes and weather disruptions, the crews had to demonstrate great adaptability. This is certainly one of the strengths of Julien Saunier and Frédéric Vauclare, who continue to lead the rally with two stages remaining.

The 2024 Tour de Corse Historique is full of surprises for the competitors, starting with the course itself. Today, out of 93 kilometers of timed sections, the 28 kilometers of “San Lorenzo – Tralonca” were completely new, while half of the 12 kilometers of “Pioggiola – Speloncato” had recently been resurfaced… A fast, billiard-like descent with 10% slopes… Simply dizzying!

The other surprise of the day came from the weather. The morning rain clouds suddenly gave way to a bright blue sky just before the first VHC competitors set off. This created a real challenge for Romain Joffroy, who manages a team of 11 cars in the rally: “We have cars at different stages of the race, some started with rain tires, others with slicks… We had to adapt quickly.”

In the competition category, the hierarchy now seems to be set, with Julien Saunier and Frédéric Vauclare confirming their leadership by posting the fastest times in two of the day’s three special stages (ES 7 was canceled for the VHC due to significant delays caused by traffic jams on the liaison sections). There were no changes in the top 5 positions.

Jos Verstappen remains in 9th place as he continues to learn the ropes of historic rallying and Corsican roads. However, the day’s most impressive climb in the standings came from Olivier Capanaccia and Audrey Nesta, who jumped 23 places to 21st. Slowed yesterday by an electrical issue, they finished 2nd in ES 6 and 8, and 6th in ES 9. Their comeback in the BMW M3 No. 2 could well be the story to watch over the next two stages.

A word on the Lancia 037s, which are being honored at this year’s Tour de Corse Historique. All four Italian cars are still in the race, with the top one, driven by the Greek team Ville Silvasti and Risto Pietiläinen, in 24th place, four spots ahead of the French duo Bernard Revest and Pierre-Jean Finidori.

VHC standings

1. Saunier-Vauclare (Porsche 911 3L RS) in 2h08'13"

2. Pieri-Cortes (BMW M3) at 51"

3. Oreille-Oreille (Porsche 911 Carrera 3L RS) at 1'59"

4. Casanova-Corvi (BMW M3) at 3'13"

5. Vaison-Duffour (Ford Sierra Cosworth 4X4) at 3'23"

Change of Leader in VHRS

The sudden downpour at the start of the first special stage didn’t give the officials time to lower the target speeds, forcing the crews to take on more risk. Unfortunately, Lionel Garnier and Bertrand Triffault, the leaders up until then, went off the road. After fixing the bodywork, their beautiful Porsche 912 was able to continue, but far from the front runners in the general classification. In Calvi, Pierre and Olivier Feligioni (Porsche 911) now lead Christophe Baillet and Jean-Marc Piret (Porsche 911) by just 10 points.

VHRS standing

1. Feligioni-Feligioni (Porsche 911 SC) 93 points

2. Baillet-Piret (Porsche 911 SC) 103 points

3. Arnal-Goudou (Morris Cooper S) 110 points

4. Rigondet-Souillard (CG 1200) 137 points

5. Ozanne-Duhayer (Porsche 911 SC) 138 points

A monument awaits tomorrow

Notre-Dame-de-la-Serra, a legendary stage featured in every edition of the Tour de Corse Historique, will immediately test the drivers with its unrelenting series of bends along its ochre cliffs, perched between sky and sea. After Porto, the second special stage will take competitors to the regrouping area in Évisa—a first for this picturesque village—along the Spelunca Gorges.

Then comes ES 12, crossing the almost-abandoned hamlet of Muna in the Sposata massif. After a 60-kilometer liaison, the final spectacular stage will plunge between rocky peaks toward the calm, clear waters of the Valinco Gulf beaches.