Rally France – Alsace (30th September – 3rd October 2010)
Sébastien Loeb’s and Daniel Elena’s aim of winning in Alsace to add more world titles to theiralready-impressive set of results got off to a perfect start on the first day of the new Alsace-basedRally France. The driver of the no. 1 Citroën C4 WRC set five fastest times, and is lying first overtwenty seconds in front of the other Citroën Total World Rally Team car shared by Dani Sordo andDiego Vallejo.
The enthusiasm generated by the organization of Rally France in Alsace is exceptional. Despite the rain,tens of thousands of spectators turned up at Place Kléber for the starting ceremony on Thursday evening.This morning, the huge influx of spectators obliged Race Control to put back the start of SS2. The wholeregion was in a state of passion whether on the stages or in the remote service park in Mulhouse to whichthe crowd flocked en masse.
Local hero, Sébastien Loeb did not disappoint. He took the lead right from the very first split, and in thekilometers that followed, the lad from Haguenau dominated his rivals in the first loop bringing the crewsfrom Colmar to Mulhouse.
Even so the reigning world champion did not seem all that happy at the end of SS1, (Hohlandsbourg):“With a shakedown that was as unrepresentative as yesterday’s, I set off fairly cautiously. It took me alittle while to get into the rhythm.”
In the first four stages, Hohlandsbourg, Firstplan, Vallée de Munster and Grand Ballon, Loeb set thefastest times and arrived in Mulhouse for the midday remote service halt leading the rally. “There’s suchfervour,” said an astonished Frenchman as the cars were surrounded by fans rooting for the Citroëndriver. “I admit I don’t pay attention when I’m driving the stage, but at the finishes, on the road sectionsand in the service park, you really feel the spectators’ enthusiasm.”
Loeb consolidated his position in the afternoon, and finished the first day with a 20-second lead over histeam-mate, Dani Sordo: “The surface was radically different. In some sections, you just had to reallypussyfoot it. The start of the rally went off perfectly but there are many traps and there’s still a long wayto go, so you can’t afford to relax your concentration for a second.”
Sordo was fifth on the road today and he had to cope with roads dirtied by the passage of the cars thatstarted in front of him: “There was mud dragged onto the apexes of corners where the road was alreadywet. In these conditions you have to be very careful not to make the slightest error, and to lose the leastamount of time possible. We’re already twenty seconds behind. This afternoon we’ll have to try and fightour way back up the time sheets.”
Sordo was the quickest driver overall in the second loop with exceptional performances in the quickestsections. These enabled him to overtake Petter Solberg and then Sébastien Ogier to go into second placeat the end of SS7 (Valée de Munster 2). Tomorrow, he will have a better starting position and willcertainly be a redoubtable opponent!
THE RALLY IN FIGURESSébastien Loeb / Daniel Elena Dani Sordo / Diego VallejoSS1: Hohlandsbourg 1 (9,90 km) 1st 1st 3rd +4.9s 3rd +4.9sSS2: Firstplan 1 (16,58 km) 1st 1st 4th +4.7s 4th +9.6sSS3: Vallée de Munster 1 (22,33 km) 1st 1st 2nd +2.4s 4th +12.0sSS4: Grand Ballon 1 (24,12 km) 1st 1st 5th +11.3s 4th +23.3sSS5: Hohlandsbourg 2 (9,90 km) 5th +3.3s 1st 2nd +1.3s 4th +21.3sSS6: Firstplan 2 (16,58 km) 1st 1st 2nd +1.0s 3rd +22.3sSS7: Vallée de Munster 2 (22,33 km) 2nd +1.1s 1st 1st 2nd +21.2sSS8: Grand Ballon 2 (24,12 km) 2nd +4.2s 1st 3rd +5.7s 2nd +22.7sFastest times in the stages
Day 1 – SS1 to 4: Loeb (Citroën C4) – SS5: Latvala (Ford Focus) – SS6: Loeb – SS7: Sordo (Citroën C4)– SS8: Latvala.Best performers: Loeb 5 fastest times, Latvala 2 and Sordo 1.Leaders: SS1 to 8: Loeb.
Overall classification at the end of the first day1. Loeb / Elena Citroën C4 1h 18m 27.8s2. Sordo / Vallejo Citroën C4 +22.7s3. Ogier / Ingrassia Citroën C4 +25.6s4. Latvala / Anttila Ford Focus +41.8s5. P. Solberg / Patterson Citroën C4 +45.8s6. Hirvonen / Lehtinen Ford Focus +1m 45.8s7. Räikkönen / Lindström Citroën C4 +3m 27.4s8. Villagra / Curletto Ford Focus +5m 34.6s9. Wilson / Martin Ford Focus +5m 58.1s10. Block / Gelsomino Ford Focus +7m 01.4s
