Rallye du Chablais

Coppens leads TER – Tour European Rally Round 6 Rallye du Chablais

02.06.2023

2021 Swiss Champion precedes Hirschi and Michellod in a tight fight

 

The 19th Rallye du Chablais has set off in a beautiful sunny morning, over the mountain stages of the Vaud and Valais regions.

 

2021 Swiss Champion Mike Coppens, codriven by Christophe Roux on a Škoda Fabia Rally2 was fastest out of the blocks: with the best time in stages 1 and 2, and only 0,3 seconds adrift on the third test, he reaches the mid-leg service with a 2,3” advantage over the Citroën C3 Rally2 of Jonathan Hirschi. The reigning Swiss Champion, with Sarah Lattion reading the pacenotes, was on a great pace from the start and only 0.1” slower than Coppens on the iconic “Tour d'Aï” test, the event's longest stage. Hirschi has a small advantage over last year's event winner, Jonathan Michellod. Setting fastest time on the 3rd stage, Michellod and Stéphane Fellay's Škoda Fabia Rally2 is 1.6” adrift of second place.

 

Just outside the podium, Sacha Althaus is gaining experience of the Škoda Fabia Rally2 he shares with Lisiane Zbinden. In fifth place, Yoann Loeffler is also getting to grips with R5 machinery, as he and Hervé Faucher continue to learn the Citroën C3 Rally2.

Photo: Baptiste Aebi