The Monte Carlo Rally is next weekend!
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Before the new WRC season begins, here is the driver line-up:
Citröen C4 WRC
Sebastian Loeb (France, World Champion)/Daniel Elena
François Duval (Belgium)/Stephane Prevot
Ford Focus WRC
Toni Gardemeister (Finland)/Jakke Honkanen
Roman Kresta (Czech Republic)/Jan Tomanek
Subaru Impreza WRC
Petter Solberg (Norway)/Phil Mills
Stephane Sarrazin (France)/Jacques-Julien Renucci
Chris Atkinson (Australia)/Glenn Macneall
Peugeot 307 WRC
Marcus Grönholm (Finland)/Timo Rautianen
Markko Märtin (Estonia)/Michael 'Beef' Park
Mitsubishi Lancer WRC
Harri Rovanpera (Finland)/Risto Pietilainen
Gilles Panizzi (France)/Herve Panizzi
Gianluigi Galli (Italy)/Guido D'Amore
Škoda Fabia WRC
Armin Schwarz (Germany)/Manfred Hiemer
2nd car:
Janne Tuohino (Finland, gravel rallies)/Mikko Markkula
Jani Paasonen (Finland, gravel rallies)/Jani Vainikka
Alex Bengue (France, asphalt rallies)/Caroline Escudero
3rd car:
Mattias Ekstrom (Sweden)/Stephan Bergman
Jan Kopecky (Czech Republic)/Filip Schovanek -
Monte Carlo is the oldest tally on the calendar, first organised in 1911. This year sees its 75th running.
Competitors start and finish in Monaco while most of the action takes places in the mountains of France.
The conditions are mixed - snow, black ice, rain and dry asphalt can make appearances in the same event.
Tommi Makinen won the rally 4 times consecutively - 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 - the only driver to have done so in history.
Walter Rhorl and Sandro Munari also recorded 4 victories each.
This event is Peugeot's jinx in recent times - it never gets a good result here. -
Last Peugeot victory was in 1985, courtesy of Ari and the 205T16. He said that was his best victory
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Maybe now after 20 years , Peugeot will win it.
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Monte here we come!
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go duval go
lets hope its gonna be a cool season -
There's a question mark over the reliability of the new C4 but Loeb has a good chance of winning this. Let's see how Gardemeister and Kresta perform in better machinery.
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This year will be Duval's best chance of securing his maiden WRC victory, lets hope he doesn't disappoint his fans, Citroen and himself. The pressure is on him.Originally posted by disneymetal:go duval go
lets hope its gonna be a cool season -
Monte starts tomorrow(Friday) woooo hoooooo
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go Giles go!
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unfortunately he is driving that useless Lancer
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The drivers moved south for the second stage of the race, Saint-Antonin / Toudon. While the course is mostly uncomplicated, the drivers must keep an eye for the sharp rocks on the side of the road, which can easily puncture the tyres.
This time a driver was able to beat the mighty Xsaras: Marcus Gronholm! The Peugeot driver sets the pace with a time of 14'05"7, only three tenths better than Francois Duval in second place and 1"1 faster than Sebastien Loeb in third.
Behind the leading trio is Petter Solberg. The Norwegian's rhythm is also very close to the leader: he loses only 2"5 seconds over Gronholm in this stage.
Markko Martin takes fifth place in his Peugeot 307. The Estonian is just barely faster than Toni Gardemeister in sixth, which is an encouraging performance by the Ford driver.
Gilles Panizzi (Mitsubishi), Didier Auriol (Peugeot), Stephane Sarrazin (Subaru), and Roman Kresta (Ford) complete the top ten in that respective order.
Loeb is still the leader in the overall results, followed by his teammate Francois Duval in second position and Marcus Gronholm in third place.
Armin Schwarz continued to lose time in this stage because of the differential problem affecting his Fabia. -
hmm yeaOriginally posted by EvilDead:unfortunately he is driving that useless Lancer -
woohoo, duval second
this is gonna be a great season for him
I can feel it
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Duval, Auriol, Sarrazin and Schwarz are all out of the rally, while Panizzi won SS8!
At the end of Day 2 the order is Loeb, Grönholm, Gardemeister, Solberg, Panizzi, Märtin, Kresta, Bengue, Rovanpera, Stohl -
oops.Originally posted by disneymetal:woohoo, duval second
this is gonna be a great season for him
I can feel it -
ah feck
oh well, plenty of rally's coming up -
If he wins a rally this year it will be on gravel and not on his favourite surface tarmac.
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shame I was hoping for Sarrazin to do well.Originally posted by Kuali Baba:Duval, Auriol, Sarrazin and Schwarz are all out of the rally, while Panizzi won SS8!
At the end of Day 2 the order is Loeb, Grönholm, Gardemeister, Solberg, Panizzi, Märtin, Kresta, Bengue, Rovanpera, Stohl
Bengue has been quite impressive in the below average Fabia
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lmaoOriginally posted by HENG@:oops. -
Reigning World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb won the 2005 Monte Carlo Rally and kicked serious butt!
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Not before SS12 claimed Solberg and Grönholm and was won by Kresta!
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Finishing order: Loeb, Gardemeister, Panizzi, Märtin, Grönholm, Stohl, Rovanpera, Kresta, Bengue, Warmbold, Meeke
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Mitsu is back on the podium!!!
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I knew Toni always had it in him, he just needed a car which was capable of winning. Whoooop! Loeb is the MAN! MITSU IS BACK MITSU IS BACK!!!