For the third year running, the Rallye Terre des Cardabelles will host the Clio Trophy France Terre season finale in Millau. With three wins from four rounds, Jean-Sébastien Vigion is already mathematically assured of the title, and all he has to do is set off on Saturday morning to officially join Quentin Ribaud and Florian Bouchonneau as the Clio Trophy France Terre title-winner. An eternal competitor, the leader will nevertheless target another win to finish on a high.
Among his rivals, four drivers are in contention for the top spot in the Junior category. Tom Pieri arrives in Aveyron ten points clear of Mika Rasoamaromaka, 16 ahead of Mattéo Chatillon and 23 ahead of Baptiste Panissié. With 55 points up for grabs, the permutations are numerous. Tom Pieri will have his destiny in his own hands, but he will need to immediately get back into the rhythm on his return to competition three months after his accident in the Rouergue event. Despite the determination of his rivals to dethrone him, the driver from Marseille is the only one of the four contenders that can discount on a zero score, as only the four best results of the season count in the season-ending general classification of the trophy.
The eventual Junior category champion will receive an official programme in 2024 to be run by the structure that wins the teams’ title. 3P Racing comes into the season’s final weekend 28 points ahead of Vigion Promosport and 39 clear of Fun Meca Sport. As well as Tom Pieri, the leaders will be supported by Benjamin Boulenc, who will set his sights on the podium’s top step after finishing third in Aléria and second in Lozère, and Florian Condamines, last year’s winner on home soil. Opposite them, Vigion Promosport will have Jean-Sébastien Vigion, while Fun Meca Sport will count on Mika Rasoamaromaka, Jean-Paul Monnin and Laurent Reuche.
In a context where even a single point could make all the difference in the final stages of the year, SS8 at Severac d’Aveyron, which hosts the Power Stage on Sunday morning, could be crucial, including in the quest for the Jean Ragnotti Power Stage Trophy. In this battle, however, Mattéo Chatillon will only need five points (or a top-six time excluding drivers not eligible for points) to seal the deal against Jean-Sébastien Vigion and Mika Rasoamaromaka. Another battle to keep an eye on will be in the Renault Network Challenge, where Bandelier Automobiles (Jean-Paul Monnin and Laurent Reuche) will look to definitively distance themselves from Garage Deletre (Mattéo Chatillon and Jean Lavigne) and David Automobiles (Jean-Sébastien Vigion).
The last few places of honour will also be hotly contested, with Faniry Rasoamaromaka, Anthony Rovina and Aurélien Devanthery hoping to mix it up with the frontrunners. Meanwhile, Christophe Truchet, Ludovic De Luca, Ludovic Casciani, Alexandre Gransagne and Thomas Mouysset will all target a strong result in a field featuring the return of Vincent Favre-Miville, Justin Tamisier and Johan Gres.
Already sure to finish the season as the top Gentleman, Laurent Reuche will be challenged this week by Lilian Vialle, Mickael Caumes, Jean-Michel Da Cunha and Olivier Bosch, 1994 French Gravel Rally Champion. Lastly, Déborrah Marie will look to make up her six-point deficit to Inès Tamisier and steal the top spot in the Women’s category.
The Rallye Terre des Cardabelles features ten special stages and 155.2 timed kilometres on a 505.2 km route, including the recce loops. On Saturday, three stages, including Le Camp, will be run twice before the competitors take on two other timed sectors twice on Sunday. Alongside the trophy, seven private Clio Rally3s will be in action with Pierre Lafay, Jérôme Jacquot, Pierre Ragues, Simon Heinemann, Christophe Rocard, Victorien Houyelle and Daniel Monchal. A Clio Rally4 will also starting with Sylvain Tamisier.
