Leg 2: Rain Steals The Show

3 hours ago

7 min read

Raphaël Astier and Denis Giraudet (Porsche 911 RS # 10) went fastest on all four stages of the second leg, from Calvi to Lucciana. After a day in the rain, they lead Tom and Tristan Pieri (BMW M3 # 12) by 34 seconds. Yoann Bonato and Benjamin Boulloud (Lancia Delta HF Integrale # 6) stormed back to third, ahead of Julien Saunier and Frédéric Vauclare (Renault 5 Maxi Turbo # 2), who were caught out on the final stage.

Competition

The Tour de Corse Historique stepped up a gear on Wednesday. Between Calvi and Lucciana, crews faced 98.3 km against the clock, almost four times the previous day's distance. That included three stages of more than 25 km through the Haute-Balagne, the Casaluna valley and the Casinca. And the rain made sure nothing came easy. It fell all day and turned the roads into a minefield, with conditions changing from one stage to the next. Tyre choice became a headache before every start, and the slightest mistake was punished. On those sodden roads, outright speed was no longer enough. Staying on the road mattered just as much, and the day became a real fight for survival.

Raphaël Astier still left his rivals with nothing but crumbs. With Denis Giraudet alongside, the Porsche 911 RS # 10 driver won all four of the day's stages. He was already 10 seconds up on the Pieris after Bocca Capanna - Pietralba, and 16 seconds clear after Aïti - Santa-Lucia-di-Mercurio. His lead now stands at 34 seconds. It is all the more impressive given that he is discovering both the Tour de Corse Historique and a manual-gearbox Porsche. With no visual memory of the roads, he is driving "purely on the notes" and keeping something in reserve. Even when they eased off, the crew were caught out several times.

Tom and Tristan Pieri (BMW M3 # 12) remain his closest challengers, second fastest on every stage of the day. In the closing section of Barchetta - Penta di Casinca, where the rain turned the road into an ice rink, they dropped just 3 seconds, despite an M3 that "just spins its wheels" in the wet.

It was a more mixed day for Julien Saunier and Frédéric Vauclare (Renault 5 Maxi Turbo # 2). After setting third fastest time on the first three stages, they lost 1'50" on the last one. Two punctures in a row had left them with slicks on the rear for that stage. By the end of the day, they had lost third place to Yoann Bonato and Benjamin Boulloud (Lancia Delta HF Integrale # 6), with the six-time French champion making the most of his four-wheel drive. Bonato and Didier Auriol (Lancia Delta # 3) are the only front-runners with four-wheel drive, which can make all the difference on sodden roads, especially on the way out of corners. While the rear-wheel-drive cars struggled to put their power down, the two Lancias could push harder. Auriol also made the most of it, setting fourth fastest time on the final stage.

Further back, Thomas Argenti and Meryl Giraldo (BMW M3 # 8) and Maxime Rizzo and Enzo Mahinc (Porsche 911 RSR # 250) are covered by 9 seconds, more than 4 minutes off the lead. Christophe Casanova and Stéphane Delleaux (Porsche 911 RS # 4) are next. Didier Auriol and Fabrice Gordon (Lancia Delta # 3) lost more than 3 minutes on Aïti - Santa-Lucia-di-Mercurio, then set fourth fastest time on the final stage, and now lie tenth. François and Priscille Delecour (BMW M3 # 7) are out of contention: a wrong turn on a road section, followed by running out of fuel, cost them dearly in the morning. The 1993 Tour de Corse winner still set fifth fastest time on the last stage.

Raphaël Astier (Porsche 911 RS # 10): "We're happy. We're getting to grips with the car and learning as we go. Today we had all sorts of conditions, with different tyres depending on the stage. Some sections were tricky: even taking it easy, we got caught out a few times. You mustn't forget it's an old car. At the start we had no reference point, so we went on feel. Now we have a better idea of where we stand. In Corsica you never really know where you are, so you have to drive purely on the notes. If your notes are off, a tightening corner can catch you out very quickly. So from here, we'll keep up a strong pace, but with a margin."

Tom Pieri (BMW M3 # 12): "The last stage was really, really tricky. It was so slippery that it felt like driving on snow! I tried to stay tidy, not slide too much and get back on the power in a straight line. We tried to take the fight to Raphaël Astier in conditions that were very tough for a Tour de Corse, but that's rallying. Without taking anything away from his performance, with the engine at the front and so little weight at the back, the M3 just spins its wheels: in the wet, it's hell. In the dry, it's much quicker and far better balanced. There's still a long way to go, so we can't afford to switch off."

Yoann Bonato (Lancia Delta HF Integrale # 6): "Conditions weren't easy, but we were well advised and always had the right tyres. We had a ball in the car in the rain! Out of slow corners the four-wheel drive obviously helps, but the car is a bit slow to pick up: it needs to get going. We're managing some nice little slides, and that's what it's all about. Here we're at the limit of what we can do with what we've got, but there's a lot more to come."

Julien Saunier (Renault 5 Maxi Turbo # 2): "We had two punctures during the day. On the last stage we started with wet tyres at the front and slicks at the rear, so I was ultra-cautious. It was incredibly slippery: the rear wheels were spinning all the way up to fifth!"

VHC classification

Astier / Giraudet (Porsche 911 RS n°10) en 1h19'27''
Rizzo / Mahinc (Porsche 911 RSR n°250) à 4'11''
Casanova / Delleaux (Porsche 911 RS n°4) à 5'10''

Outright classification

Astier / Giraudet (Porsche 911 RS n°10) en 1h19'27''
Pieri / Pieri (BMW M3 n°12) à 34''
Bonato / Boulloud (Lancia Delta HF Integrale n°6) à 2'19''

Régularity

At the end of the second leg, a clear order has emerged in the Regularity. Over four regularity zones that grew steadily harder, the most experienced crews made the difference, and the top three now have more than 6 seconds in hand over the rest. Christophe Baillet and Jean-Marc Piret (Porsche 911 # 332) remain in front with 14.6 seconds of penalties. Consistent all day, they rounded it off by winning RZ 6, Barchetta - Penta di Casinca. It was the real decider of the day, and the quality of the navigation counted for a great deal there.

The comeback of the day came from Yves Deflandre and Jennifer Hugo (Porsche 911 # 330). Tenth last night, the defending champions went clean through RZ 4, Bocca Capanna - Pietralba, then took second in RZ 5. They now sit second overall, 3.1 seconds back. Jean-François Nicoules and Jérôme Dupard (Ford Escort RS 2000 # 414), winners of RZ 3, Speloncato - Pioggiola, drop one place but complete the provisional podium, 5.2 seconds off the lead. They are ahead of Alexandre Merle and Pascal Fouchy (Porsche 911 # 369).

All day, one question was on every crew's mind: wets or slicks? In the end, the rain only came in the closing section of RZ 6 for the leaders, under the trees. Nicoules and Dupard had stayed on slicks. They dodged the showers for three quarters of the zone, but like most of the late starters they found themselves on a real ice rink in the final kilometres. François Nicoules and Antoine Grouillard (Renault Alpine A110 1600 S # 428) were heavily penalised in that last zone and slip to 15th, but they still lead the Moderate average.

It was a cruel day for Kenneth Simonsen and Otto Kristensen (Lancia Fulvia HF # 497). They started it leading the Low average, but were heavily penalised in RZ 5. Nicolas and Philippe Loens (Morris Cooper S # 487), the RZ 5 winners, take over at the top of that category and lie tenth overall. In the High average, Thomas Enghof and Franziska Mohr (Toyota Celica # 326) move into the lead.

Thursday's third leg, from Lucciana to Propriano, already looks decisive. It opens south of Bastia with the Pont de l'Enfer zone, Taglio Isolaccio - Talasani - Sainte-Lucie-de-Moriani (14 km), a twisty run entirely under the trees. Then comes the showpiece of the rally: Chiatra - Feo, 40.8 km, the longest test of the event.

Christophe Baillet (Porsche 911 # 332): "It got harder and harder as the day went on, with some very fast-flowing zones and tricky conditions. This is the Tour de Corse Historique in all its glory. Tomorrow, the first zone will probably be the most beautiful and the toughest: it's under the trees all the way and it twists and turns constantly. Then comes the monument, Chiatra - Feo: 40 km that finish inland. That's where some crews will lose time they'll never get back."

Yves Deflandre (Porsche 911 # 330): "The first two zones were a bit slow for my taste, but the last one of the day had a great rhythm. Yesterday I lost the rear in a hairpin just before a timing point. That cost us 2 seconds, otherwise we'd be almost level with the leader. Tonight I think we've pulled clear of the other crews who were fighting at the front. Experience is starting to tell."

Jérôme Dupard (Ford Escort RS 2000 # 414): "In the last zone we dodged the showers for three quarters of the way, but the rain caught up with us in the final part. As we'd stayed on slicks, it was like an ice rink: it turned into a drift contest! We kept the damage to a minimum against the champions ahead of us. And at the top of the standings, among all the Porsches, there's a Ford Escort RS 2000! For some it's an anomaly, for others it's a welcome change on the roll of honour!"

Regularity overall classification