Rallye International du Maroc - 9-16 Oct 10

De Mevius wins in Morocco

Posted: October 16, 2010 8:47 PM

Day 7 Report: Agadir-Marrakech
3 stages, stage distance = 170km, liaison distance = 190km, total = 360km

Belgian driver Gregoire de Mevius has won the Rallye International du Maroc by just under five minutes in his Kronos Racing Porsche 911, having turned round the 34-second deficit with which he started the final day.

In second place was Michele Mouton, the most successful lady in the history of the World Rally Championship, driving a Porsche 911 run by Tuthill Porsche. Completing the podium was South African Geoff Bell, in another Tuthill Porsche.

The rally ended with a thrilling finale after De Mevius, who had led from the very beginning, lost more than 20 minutes with a broken driveshaft on Friday morning. This allowed Mouton, who had lost a similar amount of time with a broken brake calliper on the very first day, into a slender lead.

She started the final day with just a half-minute advantage, but De Mevius mounted an unstoppable fightback, winning the first stage of the day by nearly two minutes. From then on he didn't look back, completing the rally by winning all three stages of the final day. In total, De Mevius claimed nine of the 20 stages while Mouton won six. Bell won two stages while the only other stage winner was the 1979 World Rally Champion Bjorn Waldegaard, at the wheel of a Peugeot 504 V6 owned by former Maroc winner Jean-Pierre Nicolas.

The first stage of the final day was run entirely on asphalt, adding another twist to the tale. The 35-kilometre section was extremely slippery because all the competitors were running on gravel tyres, and there were plenty of loose stones by the side of the road.

"I really needed to push there, so we went as hard as we could," said De Mevius. "It wasn't easy as we were sideways all the time but maybe it was there that we won the rally. It was also thanks to my co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul, because he was able to fix the broken driveshaft that we had yesterday. If it had just been me, then I would have stood no chance of doing it! But in the end it all went well and of course I am very happy to win. It's been a fantastic event; we've had a great time."

Mouton regretted her tyre choice on the opening asphalt stage.
"We had the wide tyre and that was definitely a bad idea," she said. "It was so, so slippery, which meant that I preferred to back off. It was great to lead, but there was no point to take any risks. It's been a really tough week and I can certainly feel it now!"

Bell, who ran as high as second overall, was extremely encouraged by his performance on the event, which he completed without any problems. "We've managed to steer clear of trouble, which is crucial here, and we've really enjoyed ourselves," he pointed out. "It's also been a big privilege to compete against drivers of the calibre of Michele and Gregoire."

This year's Rallye International du Maroc, which took in a total route of 2800 kilometres, went from Marrakech to Ouarzazate to Foum Zguid to Agadir and then back to Marrakech, crossing the length and breadth of the country. Competitors witnessed some breathtaking scenery, with the route climbing to more than 2000 metres in altitude over the Atlas Mountains, as well as blasting through barren desert landscapes. There were rocky roads and smooth ones, heavy rain and blistering sunshine, flat-out straights and twisty sections, five star hotels and a Berber-style bivouac under the stars.

More than anything else, the revival of the Rallye International du Maroc for the first time in more than 20 years celebrated diversity. The huge variety of the roads was also reflected in the wide range of competitors. As well as former champions, one of the people taking part was Scotland's Derek Melville, for whom Maroc was his very first rally. Melville was delighted by his eventual ninth place finish, having experienced all the highs and lows that the sport has to offer.

"It's been the most incredible adventure," he said. "We've had our ups and downs and we've also got lost a couple of times, but it's been an amazing experience. It's a very tough event, but really anybody can come and do it, which is one of the things that appealed to me."

Porsche was the most well-represented manufacturer in Morocco, with eight cars on the entry list, but the second best represented manufacturer was Citroen. A total of four Citroens started the event, including three examples of the DS (one of which was a rare short-wheelbase version) and an SM. The highest-placed Citroen was the short DS of Frederic Daunat, which finished seventh. Two former Citroen factory drivers, Philippe Wambergue and Bob Neyret, rounded off the list of finishers.

Waldegaard was affected by ongoing mechanical issues but still managed to bring his car home 13th overall, having enjoyed the social side of the event as much as the competition. "For the last few days we decided just to do one stage a day in order to bring the car home, but that meant that we had more time to enjoy the scenery and the nice atmosphere," he said. "Morocco is a very nice country and this is a real flavour of how rallying used to be."

Event organiser Paul-Eric Jarry, a keen rallyman himself and the owner of the Porsche that Mouton was driving, concluded: "We set out with this vision of recapturing the golden age of the Rallye International du Maroc and I think we have succeeded. We benefited from some top quality drivers on the entry list and I would like to thank everyone for coming, as well as all the other people from Morocco and elsewhere who have supported our event. Our plan is to make this rally a regular fixture, alternating with the East African Safari Rally, and I believe that we have laid some very solid foundations for the future over the last week."

Results

Posted: October 16, 2010 8:35 PM

1 Gregoire de Mevius (B)/Nicolas Gilsoul (B) Porsche 911 14h45m01s
2 Michele Mouton (F)/Fabrizia Pons (I) Porsche 911 14h49m47s
3 Geoff Bell (ZA)/Tim Challen (EAK) Porsche 911 15h04m15s
4 John Lloyd (GB)/Adrian Cavenagh (GB) Ford Escort 16h10m34s
5 Steve Troman (GB)/Calvin Cooledge (GB) Porsche 911 16h26m45s
6 Jac Nelleman (DK)/Joseph Huber (CH) Porsche 911 18h01m31s
7 Frederic Daunat (F)/Guy Chirqui (F) Citroen DS 18h14m09s
8 Aslam Khan (EAK)/Ashard Khan (EAK) Ford Escort 20h12m55s
9 Derek Melville (GB)/Peter Lythell (GB) Porsche 911 21h18m24s
10 Albert Michiels (B)/Patrick de Coninck (B) Porsche 911 22h07m48s

RALLY INTERNATIONAL DU MAROC

Day 6: Mouton takes Rallye du Maroc lead

Posted: October 16, 2010 8:26 PM

Day 6 Report: Foum Zguid-Agadir
3 stages, stage distance = 261km, liaison distance = 259km, total = 520km

After more than 12 hours of flat-out driving and 1000 kilometres of competition, the two leaders of the Rallye International du Maroc are separated by just 34 seconds heading into the final day of a week’s rallying.

This sort of margin, which is just the blink of an eye on the challenging stages of Morocco, is more commonly seen on a World Championship sprint rally rather than an epic historic event.

But this is the cushion that Michele Mouton will have as she approaches the final three stages of the event over Gregoire de Mevius, both at the wheel of Porsche 911s but with rival teams: Kronos Racing and Tuthill Porsche.

There was drama on the first competitive section this morning from Foum Zguid to Tata when de Mevius broke a driveshaft 15 kilometres into a long 19-kilometre stage. This deprived his Kronos Porsche of drive and he could only watch his 20-minute lead slip away. However, co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul came to the rescue, using his mechanical knowledge to change the driveshaft in the stage in just 23 minutes.

“It’s something that we practised in the workshop but that was a long time ago and it wasn’t in the middle of the desert surrounded by sand!” said Gilsoul. “Luckily I remembered how to do it. But it wasn’t easy as there was quite a lot of stress and it’s a very tricky job, with not so much room for manoeuvre. In the end we had no choice because if we had not been able to change the driveshaft then we would have been forced to stop – and obviously we didn’t want to do that. We still have a good chance to win I think.”

A storming drive from De Mevius meant that he nonetheless managed to complete the stage seventh-fastest after the driveshaft was fixed, but he was now a couple of minutes behind Mouton, who in the meantime had overhauled South Africa’s Geoff Bell.

“I don’t know if I’m leading or not, but in my mind I still want to be third!” said Mouton. “I’m not even thinking about leading or winning; definitely not. I’m just going to keep driving at the pace I have always done.”

De Mevius tried his hardest to make up time on the following stage and although he won it by 20 seconds, a puncture – which was maybe the result of his eagerness to claw back the deficit – cost him several minutes. The final stage, run entirely on asphalt, was a much more emphatic victory for de Mevius. The Belgian now lies just over half a minute behind Mouton, setting the scene for a thrilling finale to the revival of the Rallye International du Maroc.

A total of 16 cars will start the final day from Agadir, which once again is set to be run in warm temperatures in excess of 30 degrees centigrade. For many, including the Citroen DS of former Maroc winner Bob Neyret, and Peugeot 504 driver Bjorn Waldegard, it is just a question of getting to the finish of the 2,830-kilometre event. Waldegard is planning to contest just one of tomorrow’s three stages tomorrow in order to make sure that he is classified as a finisher. Neyret meanwhile plans just to drive the road section.

The final day of the rally takes the competitors back to Marrakech, where the rally started a week ago. Three stages will be run, making a total of 170 stage kilometres and 190 road kilometres.

Top 10 classification after day six:
1 Michele Mouton (F)/Fabrizia Pons (I) Porsche 911 12h27m53s
2 Gregoire de Mevius (B)/Nicolas Gilsoul (B) Porsche 911 12h28m27s
3 Geoff Bell (ZA)/Tim Challen (EAK) Porsche 911 12h31m51s
4 John Lloyd (GB)/Adrian Cavenagh (GB) Ford Escort 13h36m40s
5 Steve Troman (GB)/Calvin Cooledge (GB) Porsche 911 13h47m33s
6 Jac Nelleman (DK)/Joseph Huber (CH) Porsche 911 15h22m19s
7 Frederic Daunat (F)/Guy Chirqui (F) Citroen DS 15h52m38s
8 Aslam Khan (EAK)/Ashard Khan (EAK) Ford Escort 18h02m00s
9 Derek Melville (GB)/Peter Lythell (GB) Porsche 911 18h23m43s
10 Albert Michiels (B)/Patrick de Coninck (B) Porsche 911 19h12m22s

Day 5: de Mevius stretches lead as Mouton closes on second in Morocco

Posted: October 14, 2010 10:02 PM

Day 5 Report: Foum Zguid-Foum Zguid
3 stages, stage distance = 187km, liaison distance = 135km, total distance 322km

As days on the Rallye International du Maroc go, this was a comparatively short one. However, it was just as competitive as always, with competitors driving a loop of three stages around the rally bivouac at Foum Zguid.

From the start the drivers have faced extremely varied terrain, and today was no exception. The first stage finished with a flat-out section that was like a motorway, with the cars kicking up plumes of dust that were visible for miles into the distance.
"Actually it looks completely straight, but the reality from inside the car is that it is not straight at all," said the 1979 World Rally Champion Bjorn Waldegaard, the winner of the final stage yesterday. "You are constantly making little corrections to avoid the holes and rocks in the road. It's hard to put into words the best way to drive this rally, because you have to be fast but slow at the same time. You just get a feeling for the way that the roads are."

Unfortunately, Bjorn didn't get the chance to put his feeling into practice as he was forced to turn back after the opening stage when his Peugeot's rear differential started leaking. With temperatures soaring in excess of 35 degrees centigrade, the wise Swede did not want to take the risk of being stranded in the desert and not finishing the event.

Instead, it was Porsche 911 driver Michele Mouton who won the first stage, and who emerged once again as best performer of the day after winning the final stage as well, run over 91 kilometres through a military area characterised by harsh terrain.

"We had no problems at all, so it was another good day," said the most successful lady in the history of rallying. "The only thing that surprised me was just how rough the road was in places today. This is a real endurance event."

Belgium's Gregoire de Mevius won the middle stage of the day to stretch his lead to more than 15 minutes over Geoff Bell in second, who now has Mouton less than six minutes behind him.

De Mevius, who has previous experience of desert conditions from the legendary Dakar Rally, says that he cannot afford to relax though. "Quarter of an hour is really nothing here," he said. "It can disappear so quickly. A puncture or a mechanical problem is one thing, but the easiest way to lose time in these stages is simply by getting lost. I think this event is as tough for the navigator as the driver, as you really have to fellow the road book carefully."

Kenyan driver Aslam Khan was one of the high-profile victims of the day, who stopped with engine problems on his Ford Escort Mk I after a strong run. He is aiming to make repairs overnight that should allow him to complete this gruelling event. Steve Troman also lost time in his Porsche 911 after losing his way, and dropped to fourth behind John Lloyd.

The sixth day of the rally takes the competitors back towards the bustling port of Agadir. The first stage tomorrow is an old classic that has traditionally been run on the Rallye du Maroc since the 1960s, except this time in the reverse direction: Foum Zguid to Tata.

Three stages will again be run, making a total of 261 stage kilometres and 259 road kilometres.

Top 10 classification after day five:
1 Gregoire de Mevius (B)/Nicolas Gilsoul (B) Porsche 911 9h19m21s
2 Geoff Bell (ZA)/Tim Challen (EAK) Porsche 911 9h35m27s
3 Michele Mouton (F)/Fabrizia Pons (I) Porsche 911 9h41m14s
4 John Lloyd (GB)/Adrian Cavenagh (GB) Ford Escort 10h29m15s
5 Steve Troman (GB)/Calvin Cooledge (GB) Porsche 911 10h38m02s
6 Jac Nelleman (DK)/Joseph Huber (CH) Porsche 911 11h59m43s
7 Frederic Daunat (F)/Guy Chirqui (F) Citroen DS 12h17m35s
8 Albert Michiels (B)/Patrick de Coninck (B) Porsche 911 13h45m57s
9 Derek Melville (GB)/Peter Lythell (GB) Porsche 911 14h09m57s
10 Aslam Khan (EAK)/Ashard Khan (EAK) Ford Escort 14h18m20s

Day 4: Waldegaard claims stage win in Morocco

Posted: October 14, 2010 11:17 AM

Day 4 Report: Ouarzazate-Foum Zguid
3 stages, stage distance = 269km, liaison distance = 234km, total distance 503km

Yet another early start took the competitors south, from the town of Ouarzazate in a clockwise loop towards Foum Zguid: a peaceful village surrounded by panoramic mountains where time has stood still.

The overnight halt sees the competitors and service crews lodge in a bivouac: a traditional Moroccan village of tents, as used by nomadic Berber tribes.

Beforehand, the drivers faced three tough stages - including one of more than 100 kilometres - in temperatures of 35 degrees centigrade during the afternoon. The opening stage was won by Gregoire De Mevius in his Porsche 911, who stretches his lead to 12 minutes over Geoff Bell. The South African Ford Escort driver lost nearly 10 minutes in the 101-kilometre stage after breaking a driveshaft, meaning that he is now more than ten minutes behind De Mevius, who continues to lead.

The Belgian had a scare yesterday when his suspension collapsed right at the end of the final stage, but today he had no worries at all. He could not quite beat Michele Mouton on the longest stage of the day, who maintains third but continues to close down the gap to second place.
"I think I'm getting too old for this!" she joked. "As the days go on it gets a little bit easier but this is a very physical rally for me. We had a good day although the roads are quite rough. You have to know how slowly you need to go sometimes; it's a rally that you win by using your head. We're third so I think we're not so likely to win, but you never know. I don't have a particular plan here: I'm just driving the route as I see it and trying to be a bit cautious."

It was a good day for Tuthill Porsche driver Steve Troman too, who moved up to fourth after setting third-fastest time on the longest stage. British privateer John Lloyd is down to fifth, having picked up a puncture, got lost and broken a damper on the long stage.
"It's quite amazing," said his Viking Motorsport principal (and former World Champion co-driver) Phil Mills. "This is another challenge completely. The fact that you can have everything happen to you, as was the case with John today, and still be fifth just underlines the fact that you never give up. It's an awesome event."

Proving that experience and cunning can more than make up for youth and exuberance, Bjorn Waldegaard took his first stage win on the third and final stage of the day, the 61-kilometre Zagora test.

Driving a Peugeot 504 owned by former Maroc winner Jean-Pierre Nicolas, Waldegaard overcame an earlier suspension breakage to show that he still has what it takes to make his mark.

Another former Rallye du Maroc winner, Bob Neyret, is back on the road after his Citroen DS succumbed to suspension breakage on the first day. However, in order to protect his car, Neyret is likely to drive on the road sections; many of which bear a passing resemblance to a special stage anyway. "With the car being so new, we didn't really test enough before coming here," said Neyret. "But I'm going to drive the road sections to the finish. I really want to enjoy the special atmosphere of this event all the way to the end.

The fifth day of the rally is another loop before the competitors return to the bivouac at Foum Zguid. Three stages will be run, making a total of 269 stage kilometres and 234 road kilometres, before the competitors sleep under the stars...

Top 10 classification after day four:
1 Gregoire de Mevius (B)/Nicolas Gilsoul (B) Porsche 911 7h14m45s
2 Geoff Bell (ZA)/Tim Challen (EAK) Porsche 911 7h26m23s
3 Michele Mouton (F)/Fabrizia Pons (I) Porsche 911 7h40m33s
4 Steve Troman (GB)/Calvin Cooledge (GB) Porsche 911 8h05m18s
5 John Lloyd (GB)/Adrian Cavenagh (GB) Ford Escort 8h14m41s
6 Aslam Khan (EAK)/Ashard Khan (EAK) Ford Escort 8h34m51s
7 Frederic Daunat (F)/Guy Chirqui (F) Citroen DS 8h38m10s
8 Jac Nelleman (DK)/Joseph Huber (CH) Porsche 911 9h03m45s
9 Ray Bellm (GB)/Paul Lanzante (F) Porsche 911 10h14m07s
10 Derek Melville (GB)/Peter Lythell (GB) Porsche 911 10h15m40s

Day 3: De Mevius leads while Mouton stars in Maroc

Posted: October 12, 2010 10:08 PM

After an elemental day on Monday, Morocco was bathed in bright sunshine for the third leg of the Rallye International du Maroc, which took the competitors in a loop around Ouarzazate: a town famous not only for motorsport but also for its film studios.

Hollywood comes to Ouarzazate for its wide open spaces and spectacular locations, which are equally appealing to rally drivers. Today's three stages contained a fascinating mix of roads, from flat-out straights similar to motorways to slower and more technical sections.

Belgian driver Gregoire De Mevius continues to lead the event in his Kronos Racing Porsche 911 after stretching his advantage to 2m10s over Ford Escort driver Geoff Bell from South Africa. But this margin is absolutely nothing on an event that takes in 2830 kilometres over the space of an action-packed week.

Both De Mevius and Bell set stage times that were in the top three all day, but the star performer was the legendary Michele Mouton, who set two fastest times in her Porsche to storm up the leaderboard to third overall, albeit 25 minutes behind the leader.

Believe it or not, even this deficit is possible to make up on the Rallye de Maroc, which requires a sharp brain as well as a committed right foot. Britain's John Lloyd slips down from third to fourth in his Ford Escort, in front of the Porsche 911 of Steve Troman and the Ford Escort of Aslam Khan. After more than 900 kilometres so far, Khan now leads the Citroen DS of Frederic Daunat by just four seconds!

The variety of cars in Morocco is reflected in the extensive diversity of drivers. As well as icons of the sport such as Mouton, the event also welcomes complete novices such as Scottish driver Derek Melville, competing on his very first rally. Melville, who owns a pharmaceutical company as his day job, only had time to test his Tuthill Porsche 911 briefly before heading out to Morocco but he already describes the rally as the experience of a lifetime. Melville is currently 11th, having got lost on the opening stage, but for him it is all about getting to the finish rather than sealing a headline result.

"I've always been a fan of cars and rallying, but I wanted a challenge that I felt I would cope with," said Melville. "It's been great: driving the car is simply enormous fun, particularly through landscapes as amazing as these ones. I wanted an adventure and I've certainly not been disappointed so far. The amazing thing is that there is still so far to go and several more adventures left to be had..."

Two of the frontrunners hit problems today on the opening stage. Bjorn Waldegard, the 1979 World Rally Champion, had to retire his Peugeot 504 for the day after the car's front suspension broke. Paul Darrouzet from Australia also went out due to a split rear axle casing five kilometres from the end of the first stage, but will fix his Ford Capri Perana in time for tomorrow's action.

The fourth day takes the competitors to an overnight halt at a bivouac at Foum Zguid. Three stages will be run, making a total of 269 stage kilometres and 234 road kilometres, before the competitors sleep under the stars...

Top 10 classification after day three:
1 Gregoire de Mevius (B)/Nicolas Gilsoul (B) Porsche 911 4h51m40s
2 Geoff Bell (ZA)/Tim Challen (EAK) Porsche 911 4h53m50s
3 Michele Mouton (F)/Fabrizia Pons (I) Porsche 911 5h17m37s
4 John Lloyd (GB)/Adrian Cavenagh (GB) Ford Escort 5h23m18s
5 Steve Troman (GB)/Calvin Cooledge (GB) Porsche 911 5h26m50s
6 Aslam Khan (EAK)/Ashard Khan (EAK) Ford Escort 5h35m27s
7 Frederic Daunat (F)/Guy Chirqui (F) Citroen DS 5h35m31s
8 Jac Nelleman (DK)/Joseph Huber (CH) Porsche 911 5h41m43s
9 Paul Darrouzet (AUS)/Jim Hurman (GB) Ford Capri Perana 7h19m13s
10 Ray Bellm (GB)/Paul Lanzante (F) Peugeot 504 7h21m38s

Day 2: Rain stops play in Morocco

Posted: October 12, 2010 11:23 AM

Day 2 Report: Marrakech-Ouarzazate

2 stages, stage distance = 179km, liaison distance = 245km, total = 424km
Neither stage was run for safety reasons

What was scheduled to be one of the longest days of the Rallye International du Maroc finally turned into one of the shortest: at least in terms of competitive distance.

Heavy rain fell throughout the early morning as the competitors left parc ferme in Marrakech, bound eastwards towards Ouarzazate. By the time they reached the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, the rain had turned into a torrent - making the visibility practically zero and turning the roads into a rocky skating rink.

The opening stage started off with a river crossing, but the spectacular crossing had become a raging rapid with a vicious current by the time the crews arrived. With the weather closing in further, the organisers had no option but to cancel the stage on safety grounds.

"It was absolutely the right decision," said Michele Mouton, who was competing in Morocco for the first time at the wheel of a Tuthill-prepared Porsche 911.
"Even the road section to get to the first stage was tricky. In the past, in the old days, we used to have some terrible rallies in Africa with water up to the door handles if we were lucky: inside the car if we weren't! But with these cars there's absolutely no point in that and also we're all here to enjoy ourselves. When you have conditions like we had today, it's no fun at all."

Competitors then made their way to the start of the only other stage of the day, but with the rivers all now swollen to dangerous levels, SS5 went the same way as SS4 with a cancellation. Such was the force of the elements in Morocco that a landslide on the mountain road towards Ouarzazate also held up competing crew and media as they headed towards the overnight halt.

Rally director Paul-Eric Jarry commented:
"Obviously the safety of our competitors is the number one priority. Having seen the conditions on the stages for myself, the only sensible decision was to cancel them, as the amount of water and rocks was too dangerous for the rally to safely use those roads. These unforeseen circumstances form part of he unpredictable nature of our sport, but we are confident that everything will be back on track tomorrow."

Consequently, the overall classification tonight remains identical to the order after day one, with Belgium's Gregoire de Mevius (Porsche 911) leading the rally by 34 seconds from Ford driver Geoff Bell. John Lloyd, in a Viking-prepared Ford Escort, is third.

The third day of stages take the competitors in a loop around Ouarzazate. Three stages are on the menu, totalling 219 competitive kilometres.

Top 10 classification after day two:
1 Gregoire de Mevius (B)/Nicolas Gilsoul (B) Porsche 911 2h06m54s
2 Geoff Bell (ZA)/Tim Challen (EAK) Porsche 911 2h07m28s
3 John Lloyd (GB)/Adrian Cavenagh (GB) Ford Escort 2h17m17s
4 Paul Darrouzet (AUS)/Jim Hurman (GB) Ford Capri Perana 2h19m13s
5 Steve Troman (GB)/Calvin Cooledge (GB) Porsche 911 2h19m42s
6 Aslam Khan (EAK)/Ashard Khan (EAK) Ford Escort 2h24m24s
7 Frederic Daunat (F)/Guy Chirqui (F) Citroen DS 2h28m05s
8 Jac Nelleman (DK)/Joseph Huber (CH) Porsche 911 2h31m07s
9 Michele Mouton (F)/Fabrizia Pons (I) Porsche 911 2h35m28s
10 Bjorn Waldegard (S)/Denis Giraudet (F) Peugeot 504 2h45m44s

De Mevius leads after opening day around Marrakech

Posted: October 10, 2010 9:17 PM

Day 1 Report: Marrakech-Marrakech
3 stages: stage distance = 159km, liaison distance = 108km, total = 267 km

Belgian star Gregoire de Mevius leads after the opening day of the Rallye International du Maroc, but only by a margin of 34 seconds after an action-packed three stages.

De Mevius had a clean and consistent run throughout the opening day in his Kronos Racing-run Porsche 911, despite getting slightly lost during the opening 54-kilometre Ketarra stage.

He still managed to set third-fastest time, and he backed that up with a fastest time on SS2 and a second-fastest time on SS3. His car experienced no problems at all apart from a minor electrical glitch, and the experienced Belgian - who has competed in the Dakar Rally as well as modern stage rallies in past - is looking forward to another strong day tomorrow.

"Everything went very well, but today is just the first of seven long days, and the stages were not the most demanding of the route," he said. "I'd say that today is a good introduction to what is to come, but nothing more than that."

Although the deserts of Africa are often associated with searing heat, conditions today throughout the opening loop around Marrakech were cool and cloudy, with some sports of rain breaking through.

In second place is South African Geoff Bell, part of a five-car Tuthill Porsche squad, who set the fastest time on the opening stage and followed on with a pair of third-fastest times.

In third is the exotic Ford Capri Perana belonging to Australian Paul Darrouzet, who inadvertently took a 10-kilometre detour on the opening day, but fought back brilliantly to win the final stage of the day with a commanding margin.

"It really wasn't easy, we were going flat-out and I was screaming at my co-driver!" said Darrouzet. "But these things happen in rallying. I've really enjoyed the day, as these are great stages, and we still have plenty of time to make it all up."

Three of the event's biggest stars hit problems on the very first day. Michele Mouton broke a brake calliper on her Tuthill Porsche 911 after hitting a rock on the opening stage, meaning that she had to try and make emergency roadside repairs before driving on for 25 kilometres without brakes. In total she lost nearly half an hour, so now she is eighth at the first overnight halt back in Marrakech. "After two years out of a car, it wasn't the easiest return to competition for me!" she joked. "Really, we struggled with this problem. But I'm sure I'm going to enjoy myself tomorrow."

Bjorn Waldegard, the 1979 inaugural World Rally Champion, was second-quickest on the opening stage driving Jean-Pierre Nicolas's Peugeot 504 V6, but hit problems on SS2 when the rotor arm failed in the distributor. After 25 minutes of investigation, he finally managed to fix the problem. "With the way that the distributor is located in the Peugeot, underneath the carburettor, the problem wasn't immediately obvious so it took us a little while to sort of fix it. I say 'sort of' because we still had a terrible misfire, so hopefully we can get everything properly driveable for tomorrow."

The upshot of the problem is that Waldegard is now ninth, a good 10 minutes behind Mouton.

Bob Neyret, a two-time winner in Morocco, did not even make it that far. The popular Frenchman got lost on the opening stage before his Citroen DS succumbed to mechanical problems. It was a similar story for former Citroen factory driver Philippe Wambergue, driving an identical car.

Both Citroens are expected to be back in action for the second day of stages tomorrow, which take the crews out of Marrakech towards Ouarzazate. In total, there are 424 kilometres to cover, 179 of them split between two stages and 245 as road sections.

Top 10 classification after day one:
1 Gregoire de Mevius (B)/Nicolas Gilsoul (B) Porsche 911 2h06m54s
2 Geoff Bell (ZA)/Tim Challen (EAK) Porsche 911 2h07m28s
3 Paul Darrouzet (AUS)/Jim Hurman (GB) Ford Capri Perana 2h11m13s
4 John Lloyd (GB)/Adrian Cavenagh (GB) Ford Escort 2h17m17s
5 Steve Troman (GB)/Calvin Cooledge (GB) Porsche 911 2h19m42s
6 Aslam Khan (EAK)/Ashard Khan (EAK) Ford Escort 2h24m24s
7 Jac Nelleman (DK)/Joseph Huber (CH) Porsche 911 2h32m07s
8 Michele Mouton (F)/Fabrizia Pons (I) Porsche 911 2h35m30s
9 Bjorn Waldegard (S)/Denis Giraudet (F) Peugeot 504 2h45m44s
10 Frederic Daunat (F)/Guy Chirqui (F) Citroen DS 2h46m05s

Rallye International du Maroc preview

Posted: October 9, 2010 12:09 PM

The spirit of adventure returns to rallying this weekend, with the start of the week-long 24th Rallye International du Maroc, making a triumphant comeback after more than 20 years on the sidelines.

The last Rallye International du Maroc was held in 1985, following on from an illustrious World Championship history.

Now the event is back with two of the very biggest names in the sport: Bjorn Waldegard, the first FIA drivers' champion in 1979, and Michele Mouton, the most successful woman in the history of world motorsport.

They will be driving cars that illustrate the diversity of the Rallye International du Maroc: Michele will be in a Porsche 911 prepared by British experts Tuthill Porsche, while Bjorn will drive a Peugeot 504 that is the property of Jean-Pierre Nicolas: a former two-time winner of the event in 1968 and 1976. All cars homologated before 31 December 1975 are eligible, a nod to what was widely considered to be the golden age of the Rallye International du Maroc.

"I've got some experience from Morocco from the past, once in a Citroen, the other time in a Fiat Spider so I know how extremely rough and dangerous the roads can be, especially in the areas by the dead rivers," said Bjorn. "For this reason you have to be very alert - it can be a very difficult rally."

Michele added:
"For me, it's all about fun. I've not driven in competition for a long time, but I was very pleased to get to chance to drive a Porsche on these roads. This was one of the events that I always wanted to do, and it's fantastic to have the opportunity, in such a beautiful country."

Porsche is the most well-represented manufacturer on the event, with a five-car team from Tuthill Porsche, while the second best-represented brand is Citroen: a manufacturer whose history is inextricably linked with that of the Rally International du Maroc.

Citroen's success in rallying is far from a modern phenomenon: long before Sebastien Loeb was even born, the French cars were stamping their authority over some of the world's toughest rallies.

Bob Neyret is one of the men who made it happen, thanks to his unprecedented run of success over the roads of Morocco that includes two wins in 1969 and 1970.
"I've always had a good feeling with these roads, and I hope that I will again!" he says.

Bob is driving one of four Citroens that will take the start of the event: three examples of the DS21 - with which he won the rally twice - and one rare short-wheelbase SM, powered by its Maserati engine.

It will be the first time in 40 years that so many examples of the Citroen DS and SM have lined up to take the start of a stage rally; another way in which this year's revival of the Rallye International du Maroc is creating history.

While the cars may be historic, the action is thoroughly modern, with both the drivers and the cars getting a thorough work out on roads that are mentally and physically demanding.

A distraction from the rigours of the 3000 kilometre route though is the constantly evolving scenery, which traverses both deserts and mountains, making the Rallye International du Maroc one of the most scenic events that the sport has ever seen.

Rallying is all about travel, adventure, and camaraderie. Nowhere are these values better reflected than in this year's revival of the Rallye International du Maroc, which will ensure that competitors, media and spectators are in for the experience of a lifetime.

The seven-day route takes in 1700 kilometres of stages, with no recce allowed. Neyret, a two-time winner of the event in 1969 and 1970 at the wheel of his Citroen DS, sums it up when he says: "As an event it's absolutely breathtaking. It's also a rally that you win by using your head as much as your right foot, which I suppose is how we managed to do it in a DS..."

The route:
Day one, Sunday 10 October, takes the competitors in a loop from Marrakech to Marrakech, with 159 competitive kilometres of stages.

Day two takes in 170 more competitive kilometres, from Marrakech to Ouarzazate.

Day three is another 219 competitive kilometres, in a loop around Ouarzazate.

Day four contains the longest stage, 269 kilometres, taking the competitors from Ouarzazate to Foum Zguid.

Day five takes in a loop around Foum Zguid, making 187 competitive kilometres.

Day six contains the longest total distance, with 261 kilometres of stage and 259 kilometres of road section, making a total distance of 520 kilometres from Foum Zguid to Agadir.

The final day takes the triumphant crews from Agadir to Marrakech, with a final 170-kilometre stage.

The roads are fast, flowing and challenging: one look at the roll call of previous winners, which includes stars such as Hannu Mikkola and Simo Lampinen is enough to judge their quality. As well as Michele, Bob and Bjorn, other highlights of this year's entry list include Ray Bellm (Porsche 911), Gregoire de Mevius (Porsche 911) and Philippe Wambergue (Citroen DS). Such has been the popularity of the rally this year that competitors have arrived from as far afield as Australia: specifically Paul Darrouzet in his Ford Capri Perana.

Local expertise is provided by event organiser Paul-Eric Jarry, who has lived in Marrakech for a number of years, and Clerk of the Course Surinder Thatthi.

Rallye International du Maroc: the stars of the show

Posted: October 9, 2010 11:26 AM

The Rallye International du Maroc is one of those epic events that have formed an integral part of the sport's history. It combines travel, action and adventure through some of the world's most breathtaking scenery. This year, the event is privileged to welcome two of the most recognised figures in the history of the sport: Michele Mouton and Bjorn Waldegard. We meet two of the stars of the show...

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Michele Mouton

Michele Mouton did what no other female driver has managed since: won a round of the World Rally Championship.
In fact Mouton, who hails from the Alpes-Maritimes region of France, was victorious at world level on four occasions.
Following her maiden success in Sanremo in 1981 in an Audi Quattro, she claimed a hat-trick of victories in 1982, when she came within 12 points of capturing the world drivers' title of that year. She very easily could have won but mechanical failures and crashes in Finland and the Ivory Coast meant she lost out to Opel driver Walter Rohrl, who was more consistent during the season.
Mouton's early competition forays were as a co-driver before she took to the wheel herself in 1974, driving an Alpine Renault. Her fearless approach meant success soon followed and, by 1977, she had won her first international event in Spain. Her triumph in Sanremo four years later was the first for Audi and the first victory by a four-wheel drive car.
Mouton continued at the sport's highest level until 1986, when the outlandish Group B regulations were banned at the end of the season.
With the replacement Group A formula offering little temptation and keen to start a family, Mouton quit driving and devoted her attentions instead to establishing the Race of Champions end-of-season shoot-out event. Aged 59, she now holds the post of president of the FIA's Women and Motor Sport Commission and advises the sport's governing body on matters relating to the world championship.
Mouton, who won the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb in 1984 and also tackled in the Le Mans 24 Hours, still drives on demonstration runs occasionally, but for now she insists her competitive career is over. Or at least it was...

Three questions for Michele:

Michele, what made you decide to come to Morocco?
MM: "It was always something that I wanted to do. I've retired from driving a long time ago, but if something is fun, I'll always be tempted back. I've done some rallies in a Porsche before - a complete season in 1977 - and it was always fun driving this car, plus the scenery in Morocco is beautiful, so I thought why not? I think it will be a lot of fun."

What are you expecting from the Rallye International du Maroc?
MM: "A very nice rally, but also a very tough and demanding rally. I think it will be a big challenge for me: I don't have the strength in my arms that I used to, for example! I still have the reflex of a four-wheel drive car too, so it takes time to get used to that. For me though, I just want to enjoy myself. There are some great people doing this rally, so it's going to be a very nice social occasion too."

You've got Fabrizia Pons co-driving for you again; which must bring back some memories...
MM: "Yes, we've had some fantastic times together, and the funny thing is that when we are both in the car once more I'm sure the old competitive spirit will come back! This is how it's always been before and I'm sure it's how it will be again - it just takes some time and I'm sure we will be straight back into it..."

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Bjorn Waldegard

Bjorn Waldegard, the inaugural world rally champion who turns 67 in November, first started competing in 1962 in his native Sweden. He became domestic champion in 1967 and again in 1968, but it was his victory on the Monte Carlo Rally of 1969, in a Porsche 911, that underlined his status as a genuine force in international competition.
He won the event again in 1970 and should have triumphed for a third time in 1979, the year of his world championship glory, but ultimately lost out on first by six seconds to Bernard Darniche when he was delayed by a large rock placed in the middle of the road on a bridge by a group of unruly spectators.
While Waldegard's success of 1979 was undoubtedly his crowning glory, the Swede admits there wasn't the same level of kudos attached to his achievement back then as there is today, even though a solitary point separated Waldegard and Hannu Mikkola after the 12th and final event of the season in the Ivory Coast.
Waldegard was a regular in the series from its inception in 1973 until his enforced retirement, due to an arm injury, from the sport's highest echelon in 1992. During that time he notched up 35 podium finishes, including 16 victories, the last of which came on the Safari Rally of 1990, when he became the oldest winner of a WRC event, aged 46.
Waldegard, who competes on an ad hoc basis "in cars and on rallies he likes", scored the bulk of his points during his title-winning season in a Ford Escort Mk2, although he was at the wheel of a Mercedes 450 SLC when he clinched the title - Ford didn't have the budget for the African events that season. He also had successful stints with Lancia and Toyota.

Three questions for Bjorn:

Bjorn, how did you end up competing in Morocco this year?
BW: "It was a last-minute call but I was very quick to accept the invitation because I know it will be a very good rally based on the experience I have from competing in Morocco and from knowing the good job the guys responsible for organising the event do. I know it's going to be a lot fun."

You'll be driving a Peugeot 504: what's the car like?
BW: "I have never driven the Peugeot before but I am told it's a very powerful car. The rally lasts for nine days so I have time to adapt to the car. It won't be a problem and you have to remember the Peugeot has a good record on events in Africa so it's a car that can be competitive but also reliable."

What's going to be your approach to the event?
"You have to take a prestigious endurance rally like this day by day, never think about winning but avoiding problems because the moment you have a problem you know you are not going to win. That will be my target."

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RALLY INTERNATIONAL DU MAROC

Rallye International du Maroc: a history

Posted: October 9, 2010 11:23 AM

With the Rallye du Maroc running again for the first time in more than two decades this weekend, we take a look back at its illustrious history...

The Rallye International du Maroc was first run back in 1934, won by a certain Mr Bravard driving an Essex. It was the Bugatti Veyron of its day, full of innovations such as a starter motor.

A three-litre Bugatti actually won Morocco in 1935 and 1937, driven by Jean Trevoux (the winner of the Monte Carlo Rally in 1934, 1939, 1949 and 1951).

Rallying in Morocco took a break during the War, and the fourth event didn't take place until 1950. Rally headquarters were in Casablanca, with much of the route running through the stunning scenery of the Atlas Mountains.

The route became increasingly tougher, and so did the cars. Jean Lucas won in 1950 with a Ferrari 212, but more prosaically the 1955 rally was won by a Peugeot 203 with Jean Deschazeaux at the wheel. After a long gap, the event ran again in 1967, when Robert La Caze triumphed in a Renault 8 Gordini.

The same type of car won again the following year, this time with French legend Jean-Pierre Nicolas at the wheel. The rally moved south, onto rougher and even more demanding roads. This naturally captured the attention of Renault, Citroen and Peugeot - as they knew that a win in Africa had a huge influence on road car sales.

For 1969, Citroen entered four DS21s and the result was a resounding victory for Bob Neyret, followed by two more Citroens on the podium. Nicolas was fourth in a Renault 8 Gordini while Patrick Vanson (who is still involved in the organization of the Rallye du Maroc today) was fifth in another DS21.

One of Neyret's finest achievements in Morocco came in 1970. That year, it looked like Citroen wouldn't be able to defend their win as the World Cup Rally, running from London to Mexico, was happening at the same time.

As it happened, the Rallye du Maroc took place during the week that the competing cars were on a boat for more than a week travelling between Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro.

While their cars were in transit, Bob Neyret flew to Casablanca instead of Rio to take part in another rally while he was in the midst of a much longer one: the result was a second consecutive victory for Neyret and the DS21. Second place went to the similar car of Bernard Consten, co-driven by Jean Todt, who is now the President of the FIA.

In 1971, the Rallye du Maroc formed part of the newly created World Rally Championship for manufacturers. The event turned into a battle between Peugeot and Citroen, with victory eventually going to the new Maserati-powered Citroen SM of Jean Deschazeaux (who also won the rally in 1955).

But the entries really kicked off in 1972. Lancia entered a car for Simo Lampinen, there were three factory Citroen SMs, four works Peugeot 504s, plus three factory Alpine Renaults. The battle for victory was intense and the reasons for retirement were various: punctures, gearbox and suspension breakages, electrical problems and even a fire. All three Alpines retired together with all the Peugeot 504s and one of the SMs, leaving the way clear for the Lancia of Lampinen to win by an hour and a half from Neyret's Citroen DS21. Only six of the 52 entries finished, underlining the gruelling nature of this legendary African event.

In 1973, the Rallye du Maroc became a round of the full 13-round World Rally Championship that still exists now. Lancia stayed at home to develop the Stratos, but Fiat entered two Abarth 124 Spyders for Bjorn Waldegard and Rauno Aaltonen. They faced a French armada consisting of factory entries from Alpine, Citroen, Peugeot and Renault.

This time the French had their revenge, with Bernard Darniche in an Alpine A110 winning the rally by 18 minutes from Bob Neyret in his DS23, while Waldegard could only manage sixth.

The 1974 rally was probably the toughest route to date, and it was again Jean-Pierre Nicolas (who went on to become Peugeot's Sporting Director and is now the Motorsport Development Director of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge) who triumphed in an Alpine A110.

The following year saw the most impressive entry list: more than 100 crews took the start of the 1975 Rallye du Maroc, with three teams fighting for the honours.

Opel had Walter Rohrl and Rauno Aaltonen in the Ascona. Fiat entered Bernard Darniche, Markku Alen and Bjorn Waldegard in the Spyder Abarth while Peugeot boasted a line-up of Hannu Mikkola, Timo Makinen and Bernard Consten in the 504._Bob Neyret had a factory Alpine A110 while Shekhar Mehta was at the wheel of a works Datsun.

There were nine stages, totalling around 2000 competitive kilometres and four of those stages were more than 200 kilometres long; including a giant 786-kilometre stage. This was probably the ultimate expression of the Rallye du Maroc. Mikkola won by two hours from Consten and Neyret: who became Morocco's most successful and consistent exponent thanks to two wins, two second places a third and a fourth from seven participations.

In 1976, there were more than 100 competitors again. Ford brought two Escort RS 1800s for Timo Makinen and Roger Clark. Fiat was present with the new 131 Abarth but Lancia had just one Stratos for "il drago": Sandro Munari. Against all this cutting-edge opposition, it was Nicolas who triumphed for the final time in Morocco, driving an ageing Peugeot 504.

There was not to be another Rallye du Maroc until 1985, which was won by Shekhar Mehta in a Nissan 240RS. Three more Moroccan rallies were then run, with Alain Ambrosino winning in another Nissan in 1986, Maurice Chomat triumphing in a Citroen Visa in 1987 and Paul Emile Descamps claiming the final Rallye du Maroc in 1988.

For more than 20 years, the epic stages in Morocco then fell silent. Until this year, when they live again.

RALLY INTERNATIONAL DU MAROC

Entry List Available

Posted: October 8, 2010 4:56 PM

RALLY INTERNATIONAL DU MAROC

WALDEGARD SET FOR MOROCCAN ADVENTURE

Posted: October 5, 2010 7:47 AM

Swedish legend Bjorn Waldegard is the latest star name to be added to the entry list for Rallye International du Maroc, which returns to the global motorsport calendar from October 9-16.

Waldegard, the 1979 world rally champion, is no stranger to competing in Africa. As well as driving in Morocco when the country was part of the World Rally Championship from 1973-76, the 66-year-old was a formidable competitor on the Safari Rally, winning the event on no fewer than four occasions.

He will replace Bruno Saby in the Peugeot 504 belonging to Jean-Pierre Nicolas. Frenchman Saby has been forced to stand down for personal reasons.

"It was a last-minute call but I was very quick to accept the invitation because I know it will be a very good rally based on the experience I have from competing in Morocco and from knowing the good job the guys responsible for organising the event do," said Waldegard.

"My experience of competing in Morocco was in a Citroen and a Fiat Spider so I know how extremely tough the roads can be, especially in the areas by the dried-out rivers. For this reason you have to be very alert."

Although Morocco won't be unfamiliar territory for Waldegard, he has yet to get behind the wheel of the Peugeot 504 he will use on the event alongside experienced French co-driver Denis Giraudet.

"I have never driven the Peugeot before but I am told it's a very powerful car so I hope I can drive it at least on the day before the rally starts," said Waldegard. "It's not ideal but I have to accept the situation. The rally lasts for nine days so I have time to adapt to the car. It won't be a problem and you have to remember the Peugeot has a good record on events in Africa so it's a car that can be competitive but also reliable."

Waldegard said endurance events such as Rallye International du Maroc require a strategic approach, rather than attempting to drive flat-out from the start.

"You have to take a prestigious endurance rally like this day by day, never think about winning but avoiding problems because the moment you have a problem you know you are not going to win. That will be my target," he added.

Rallye International du Maroc starts in Marakech on Sunday October 10 and covers a competitive distance of 1444 kilometres.

Michèle Mouton to participate in the Rallye International du Maroc 2010

Posted: August 22, 2010 11:56 AM

Described in a well-known British car magazine as "the fastest woman in the world", Michèle has just confirmed her participation in the Rallye International du Maroc in October this year at the wheel of a Porsche 911 2.7 RS.
The only woman to have held concurrently so many rally world championship titles including a double victory in the famous US Pikes Peak event with the fastest time ever, Michèle says : "I have always dreamt about this mythical rally but never had the opportunity to participate at that period – it goes without saying that I did not hesitate about taking up this fantastic opportunity."

Event Website

Posted: August 22, 2010 11:49 AM

RALLY INTERNATIONAL DU MAROC