Bibost – Montrottier, special stage 1 (14.68 km): Bonato slightly ahead of Giordano, Ciamin loses time
The kick-off of the 74th Rhône – Charbonnières rally did not take long to give a first highlight. Leaving Bibost at 9.03 a.m., n°1 Nicolas CIamin, associated with Yannick Roche and declared big favorite on his Hyundai I20, made a mistake from the first kilometer. After a hairpin on the right, the leader of the French championship lost control in a narrow sequence in the path of Torigny and lost 14 seconds on the winner of this special race, Yoann Bonato.
Very clean and fast, the ASA Rhône member placed his Citroën C3 in the lead with a 0.7” margin over Quentin Giordano (Polo GT1), 4.4” over Hugo Margaillan (Citroën C3), 6′ ‘ on William Wagner (Polo GTI) and 8.2” on Cédric Robert (Alpine) from Saint-Etienne. David Salanon (Polo GTI), Pierre Roché (Citroën C3) and Rhone Julien Saunier (Alpine) follow at around ten seconds.
Ternand – Saint-Just-d’Avray, special stage 2 (14.23 km): Ciamin recovers
The leader of the French championship, Nicolas Ciamin, signed the best time of SS 2, after his small slag at the start of the rally. The Hyundai I20 driver put Yoann Bonato (Citroën C3), overall leader, at 1.8 ”, while Quentin Giordano points further aboard his Polo Gti (+6.4 ”). Cédric Robert (Alpine) and David Salanon (Polo GTI) complete the top 5 at 11 seconds.
Chamelet – Oingt, special stage 3 (13.18 km): Julien Saunier sets the scratch time
While he had conceded time in the first two loops aboard his orange and blue Alpine, the Rhone Julien Saunier won the scratch on SS3, winning with a breath in front of Yoann Bonato (+0.5 ”), still as regular, and Quentin Giordano (1.8 ”). Cédric Robert still signs a top 5 (+2.9”) while Nicolas Ciamin loses the time he had regained in the previous special (5th, +3”3).
At midday, in the general classification, it was therefore the defending champion, Yoann Bonato, who placed his Citroën C3 ahead of Quentin Giordano (Polo GTI, +6.6”), while Nicolas Ciamin completed the podium with however a small gap to fill (Hyundai I20, +15.3”). Three drivers then follow each other about twenty seconds from the lead, the Ligerian Cédric Robert (Alpine), Hugo Margaillan (Citroën C3) and the local of the stage, Julien Saunier (Alpine). David Salanon and William Wagner complete the Top 8 with less than 30 seconds.
Bibost – Montrottier, special stage 4 (14.68 km): Very fast Ciamin, big exit from Roché and interrupted special
The 2nd loop of the afternoon on the Rhône-Charbonnières rally started with a big box, near Sainty-Julien-sur-Bibost. After the chicane and the small jump to the left, n°6, Pierre Roché, consistent in the top 15 this morning, lost control of his Citroën C3 on the fallout and crashed into a wall.
If the pilot got out without any problem, his co-pilot Martine got out of the cockpit with difficulty and lay down, before the ambulance intervened (the co-pilot was then helicoptered), complaining in particular in the basin. It has been transported and the tow truck is interrupted, the time to recover the badly damaged car and to clean the road.
On the race side, while some favorites like Julien Saunier have not yet started, it was Nicolas Ciamin who set the fastest time, recovering well from his spin in the first kilometer of SS 1. He regains 6” from Yoann Bonato, the overall leader, and Quentin Giordano, his runner-up. The battle rages ahead. 4th, Cédric Robert (Alpine) is 7.2” behind. But the special was eventually canceled.
Ternand – Saint-Just-d’Avray, special stage 2 (14.23 km): Bonato retires on an outing, Ciamin new leader!
Another accident and a huge turn of events, with a new exit from the track, that of the leader of the general classification, Yoann Bonato! Having made a mistake on board his C3, the driver of the CHL team, triple French champion, was forced to retire and abandoned the overall lead to Nicolas Ciamin, author of a new scratch time in this loop. He is ahead of Quentin Giordano (Polo) by two seconds overall, Cédric Robert (Alpine, +15”), Hugo Margaillan (Citroen C3, +22”) and Rhone-born Julien Saunier (Alpine, +30”) completing the Top 5. Note another outing leading to an interruption of the special and a long delay at the start of SS 6, that of Kevin Bochatay.
Chamelet – Oingt, special stage 3 (13.18 km): first reference time for Giordano, Ciamin in the lead
With nearly two hours behind the initial schedule, the last special of the day saw Quentin Giordano, very consistent on his Polo, pocketing a first scratch time at Oingt ahead of William Wagner. The runner-up takes two seconds from Nicolas Ciamin (Hyundai), only 5th in this special. The leader of the French asphalt championship and winner at Le Touquet only has a 0.8” margin in the general standings at the end of the first day. The fight will be terrible on Saturday.
Cédric Robert consolidates his 3rd place with another fine performance. The Saint-Etienne driver is 14 seconds from the lead on the first evening, the rest of the pack pointing further with Hugo Margaillan 4th (+21”), Rhone Julien Saunier (+35”), David Salanon (+41′ ‘) and William Wagner (+43”). The following crews clock in at more than one minute.
Saturday’s program
Expected at the service station on Saturday morning at the Stade de l’Arbresle from 7:55 a.m., the 87 remaining crews in modern mode on the Charbo will then take the start of SS 7 Saint-Clément/Valsonne – Amplepuis at 9:08 a.m. SS8 Thizy – La Plaine will follow at 9:51 a.m., ES90 Grandris – Saint-Bonnet-le-Troncy at 10:39 a.m., SS10 in Saint-Nizier-d’Azergues at 11:02 a.m. and finally SS 11 Claveisolles – Le Parasoir at 11:30 a.m. The afternoon loop will start at 3:28 p.m. in Saint-Clément/Valsonne and the podium will be celebrated at Place Sainte-Luce in Charbonnières around 7:35 p.m.