Paris, 29 April, 2017

For the fourth and the second to last day the cars were released early in the morning for a very long day on the French country roads with another late afternoon track visit at the Albi circuit.

As mentioned yesterday the fourth day traditionally is the day when the race groups are switching their order as the regularity is leading the convoy for the last two days rather than running at the back.

... Galleries >>>

24 Paris Scutineering
25 Saint-Malo
26 Haute-Goulaine
27 Limoges
28 Toulouse
29 Biarritz


After arriving late yesterday evening there was not much time to sleep as the first cars were released into the darkness at 6:30 am. After the first miles over the motorway following a diversion the roads became more pleasant for the sunrise giving the drivers and their navigators a first impression of another glorious day and although still cold temperatures in the morning the sun finally started to heat up a little but taking the thermometer into the two-digits. Two special stages had to be taken before the very late lunch stop and some delay after the second special meant that lunch was served at tea time for most of the competition car drivers.

As in the first three days the leading GT40 of Smith/Cottingham was on attack for the first special stage setting another reference for the other that should not be matched giving the British team another best of-track. But the second special of the day once again was won by Caron in his Cobra in the desperate attempt to take off something of the lead of the GT40 that under normal circumstances should be easily brought over the time on the last day, especially as the silver GT40 once again took the chequered flag first at the evening race in Albi, but this time only with a small margin over the second GT40 from the Ellerbrock/Glaesel stable. Knowing the competitiveness of the British drivers’ one could be certain that they did not give away anything although they are in the position to manage the gap.

In the regularity the order in front once again shuffled as the leading Ferrari 250 GT Lusso did not have a good second special stage today dropping back after finishing a disappointing 48th. At Albi one could see how close competition is as the first 4 managed to finish without any time penalties over their timed lap getting their given time within a second.

Tomorrow will be the last day of the rally and although good things should never end many participants will be also happy to finish well in a very busy week that does not really gives a lot of opportunities to recover leaving most crews both happy and exhausted once the harbor of Biarritz is in sight. As mentioned before this will not be the final curtain as after 2016 also this year will see another timed special stage in the night of the last day and so long after the sun is down the winners in the different categories will be named and the champagne will flow both by those ending on the podium and those glad having made it to the finish as the rally could also end very sudden either by technical problems or even accidents as seen today again.



Images … Peter Singhof
www.ClassicCarPhotography.de