2007 Sun Run Becomes Snow Run.
BRIEF REPORT.
Crews arrived in the pretty village of Eclance east of Troyes for signing on during the afternoon of Friday the 16th November. The evening champagne reception and welcoming meal took place at La Ferme des Touterelles which was booked out exclusively for the event.
Day one. The run to Vals les Bains. Start time 7.31am.
The run started off in bright sunshine even though the temperature was 6 degrees below. All crews coped well with the first section through the champagne villages and vineyards although no one crew made the time. The run through Chablis confused a number of crews, this included myself even though I had done the route. The rest stop proved to be popular as this was the first stop after 2.5 hours - the coffee proved welcoming. After regrouping the run set off for the next section with more navigational problems for some. Most of us had a very nice lunch near Clamecy, others just had to carry on due to lateness. After lunch the scenery changed, it got a bit flatter as we motored alongside the River Loire. Cusset proved to be a tricky town to navigate as there is very little in the way of road signs. On to Le Puy en Velay and the first sign of things to come. The snow had fallen and lay on the roadside but the routes were clear. The descent into Vals les Bains on the route national N102 is a very slow long descent made even more so by the weather and the lack of light. The hotel in Vals les Bains proved difficult for some crews to find with Peter Pratt having to ask 3 different people. The Hotel Europe was a good choice to stay as the owner is a keen rally fan, and any visitors are always made to feel welcome. The evening passed with some of the crews even having the energy to go out and see the bright lights of Vals.
Total kilometres 625. Time taken 10 hours.
Day 2 Circuit of Vals les Bains. Start time 09.00 hours.
More snow had fallen up on the mountains but the roads in the valley were good. Crews headed up to the start of the first mountain run. After a fuel stop one crew turned right out the petrol station, the others left - strange crew ! At the start of Burzet the sun was dazzling and everyone set off in good spirits. After a short period of time Peter Pratt came down the mountain due to a strange noise from the Maestro. After checking underneath the car a cassette was found dangling from car. One crew had decided it was better there than in their cassette player. We believe the culprit to be FENN. The run proved to be great fun even though it was freezing. Adrian Parker and myself did not enjoy getting out of the Landrover to check crews through. Heading on to St Bonnet les Froid the snow was now covering most of the roads and the mini crew of Kevin Card and Roger Agate slid off the road into a ditch and had to be levered back onto the road. After that everyone took great care to get to the next stop. Lunch was had in the town of Lalouvesc a famous stopover for the modern Monte Carlo. There were not many people about and some of the cafes were closed due to the snow. A great lunch was had in a nice hotel. The run set off with everyone looking forward to the afternoon session. The afternoon proved to be as enjoyable as the morning as we wound our way through cols and villages before stopping at St Pierreville. This was the start of the run to Antraiges. This is the village of the cafe La Remise. This cafe is famous for giving out cakes to all competitors in the Monte Carlo rallies. This is a great place to stop off and to take in the atmosphere of the cafe. With all the photos and rally memorabelia it is a great end to the day.
It was closed! we think due to the snow. Back to Vals for the evening, another good meal and a couple of drinks then off to bed ready for an early start.
Total kilometres 268 Time taken 9 hours.
Day three. Vals to Juan les Pins Start 8.15am.
An early start saw everyone in fine spirits after a very good nights rest. There was a lot of traffic as we headed out onto the N104 and time was lost as the run headed for St Jean en Royans. Once everyone had reached the start of the next section, the first crews set off. Time was quickly gained although the mini boys struggled for petrol as they had done all through the event and lost time. A most enjoyable day spent climbing cols. We were caught out again by the heavy snow that had fallen and time became critical. It was agreed to cancel the last section after some crews got lost on a very tricky road section and did not make controls in time. The run regrouped and decided to head into Juan les Pins via the N85, great fun as anyone who has ever driven in Grasse during rush hour will know. The hotel was found and as this was an evening of leisure a group of us headed for the local pizza place. I think it is fair to say a very good evening was had by all.
Total kilometres 525 Time taken 10.5 hours.
Day four Col de Turini Start time 9.30am.
Everyone was well rested and up for the day. The run to Monte Carlo along the coast road was an experience, having just spent 3 days in the mountains it was a shock to see such traffic. The run took 15 minutes longer than planned but still allowed a short time to gather souvenirs etc. Some crews left Monte Carlo via an incorrect route and ended up on a toll road but all crews made it to the start in reasonable time. The route up the Turini via other cols was scheduled to take 3.5 hours. The start time was 1300 hours. Some of the crews made an error on col de Brausby going up the dirt track due to the lack of signs, mostly stolen by rally fans. The finish was at the top of Turini and all crews less one mini team made it. The mini team decided to cut and run after getting lost. Having regrouped at the top we then set off for the final evening in Juan les Pins 1.5 hours away. The drive down the valley along some amazing roads proving to be great fun. It was a shame the light was fading by this stage. The final dinner and presentation took place at the Bijou plage restaurant in Juan les Pins, the food was superb and the evening passed off with the usual rally chat etc.
Total kilometres 225 Total time 9.5 hours.
Overall winners for making all the start and finish sections went to Peter Pratt and Margaret Dear. Some form of Maestro v.p.
Mini Class - Kevin Card and Roger Agate. 1968 Cooper 1071cc.
Special awards - Nigel Long best novice navigator.
Robert Fenn - Most creative interpretation of the road book.