Stage43

Wednesday 29th January 2020 - Stage 4: Bukle around the lakes

"The Round of Malbuisson" :  252 km of which 133 km in 11 ZR

Final Press-Release after Stage 4

Results 4X4 Category after Stage 4

Results Histoic Category after Stage 4

Final Overall Results 4x4 Category

Final Overall Results Historic Category

PRESS RELEASE – WEDNESDAY JANUARY 29th – FINAL LEG

Snow White & the… Sanseignes!

Looping our way around Malbuisson and Pontarlier, the climax of this 66th Snow & Ice Rally was played out on a pristine carpet of snow. And the snow kept falling well into the last 250 km, making the Regularity Zone 11 rather slippery and exciting against the fairytale scenery. After a traditional warm up, the teams headed for the Larmont Inn, at the peak of a zig-zagged, snow-covered road. The real challenge remained: how to get back down in one pièce!? Slaloming all the way to Malbuisson, with an irresistible icing on the cake: two laps around the natural track in Rochejean, a down right bobsled trail between the pine trees! Then the teams gracefully slid across the finish line and began the well-deserved, champagne-laced 2020 festivities!

 

The Sanseignes, a family affair! Irreproachable since the beginning and stellar throughout the final morning’s RZs, the Sanseigne family wowed everyone at the 66th Snow & Ice Rally. The only question remaining was whether the big winners would be Joël and Corinne or their nephew Romuald. The authors of a textbook performance, despite the unpredictable weather, Joël and Corinne Sanseigne (Autobianchi A112 Abarth #42) were poised to waltz away with a brilliant victory when all of a sudden, the cards were reshuffled on the second-to-last RZ and they were dealt a difficult hand. The two-time winners of the 4WD category (2016 & 2017) were caught off guard by their nephew and his teammate Florin Fornassier (Fiat Cinquecento Sporting #61) who slipped ahead of them. Similarly, among the Belgians, Yves Deflandre and Eddy Gully (Porsche 911 #35) got stuck on the RZ 39 and gave their spot on the two-wheel transmission winner’s podium to Guino Kenis and Anton Dupan (BMW 325 #41).

 

 

Figuière, ditto, play it again! The battle to the finish line was equally thrilling among the 4WD vehicles as the leaders wound their way along the thick platinum roads, neck ‘n’ neck. In first position at the beginning of the last loop, but only by 5 points, the 2018 winner in Villard-de Lans, Bernard Figuière and his co-pilot Isabelle Godin (BMW 325iX #2) sealed the deal, after a passionate dual with Arnaud Euvrard and Adeline Paquiers (BMW 325ix #3), who were out on the RZ36 due to a decisive error. The third place in this 66th edition went to Daniel and Alexandre Thoreau (BMW 325ix #1).

The cream of the Catalan crop. Straight from Barcelona, two Catalonian teams had their hearts set on experiencing this 66th Snow & Ice Rally in person! Carlos Beltran and Francesc Guttierrez (Porsche 911 #22) along with Francesco and Joaquim Segu (VW Porsche 914/2 #62) enjoyed this one of a kind adventure on the snowy mountain roads of the Doubs and Jura.

The British had a blast! Directly out of Cornouaille, five fabulous Brits gave this 66th Snow & Ice Rally a distinctively original flair. “We’ve had an absolutely marvelous time!” exclaimed Adrian Crawford. “The first night, we stayed at the tail end and then we realized the goal is not to rack up a slew of points! The next day, we had to figure out how to master the art of regularity. On day three, the snow started to fall, and we eventually discovered that it was essential to change tires. In short, we needed a whole leg to grasp each aspect of how to play this fascinating game. If we had one more day, I’m sure we’d perform quite well! (laughter). This has been an incredible experience… and we had a lot of fun!”

A CX that ages like fine wine. A loyal sponsor of Zaniroli Classic Events for nearly 15 years, Jean-Christophe Sibelya, CEO of the Bertaud Belieu vineyards in Gassin, on the Saint-Tropez peninsula, is a big motor sport fan. After driving a Visa and a BX Sport, he teamed up with Eric Palacios at the wheel of a Citroën CX GTi this time. Given the eye-catching way the ‘old lady’ swaggered gleefully along the tiny forest roads in the Doubs and Jura region, it’s plain to see that this 66th edition of the Snow & Ice Rally was as enjoyable as ever for the boys! “Thanks to our hydro-pneumatic suspension, we had no trouble, despite the challenging road conditions.” explained Jean-Christophe Sibelya.

Comforting mulled wine in Rochejean. The climax of the 2020 Snow & Ice Rally was two thrilling laps around the RZ in Rochejean, where the teams could let loose on the rolling hills and quite technical terrain before reaching the finish line in Malbuisson. To keep the competitors warm in between turns, mulled wine was on tap at the rest stop.

Happy trekkers! Along with the rally’s competitors, several teams opted to join the Snow & Ice trekkers’ category. “A real treat!” exclaimed Bruno Dufour, the driver of a little Autobianchi A112 Abarth. “We drove stress-free behind the others. Now we want to do the regularity training workshop and join the competitors’ ranks next year!”

 

INTERVIEWS

Patrick Zaniroli (French/Event Manager): “The snow fell in buckets on the last two days, offering us all a beautiful finale. Two dream come true legs with plenty of slipping and sliding. In terms of the competition, the teams were neck and neck to the bitter end in both categories. Amongst the two-wheel transmissions, the Sanseigne family frankly dominated the lead and won the top two spots on the winner’s podium, ahead of the famous Belgian super stars. And for both categories, we had to wait until the end of the last Regularity Zone to know for sure who the champions would be. Congratulations to all the participants, who demonstrated unfailing dedication and who gave us all an unforgettable show!”

Romuald Sanseigne (French/Autobianchi A112 Abarth #42: “It’s incredible that we’ve won this year’s Snow & Ice Rally! We fought my aunt and uncle head to head for four straight days. They didn’t let up for even a minute. In the end, they made a tiny mistake that cost them the top spot. We’re so proud to share the podium with Joël and Corinne, who taught us everything we know. We all love motor sports, but I promise that we’ll be celebrating with a well-deserved feast!”

Guino Kenis (Belgian/BMW 325 #41): “As soon as the snow started to fall, I shifted into fun gear and had the time of my life driving my BMW! Last year we came in second place in Vercors. This year we took third in the Doubs and Jura. Looks like we’ll have to come back next year so we can win!”

Bernard Figuière (French/BMW 325xi #2): “This second victory was hard won. The visibility was very limited, and the steering was difficult because the snow was so heavy. Then the fog rolled in and made matters worse. When Arnaud and Adeline slid off the road, we tried to help them, but it was a lost cause. The first two days were too easy, but the next two were significantly trickier!”