Antibes Rally – Julien Maurin solid leader at the end of the first stage

Le Rally d'Antibes, fourth round of the 2014 French Championship is only halfway there, but Julien Maurin has already put his stamp on the event in the south of France. With a 45″1 lead at the end of this first stage on the Hyundai i20 WRC by Bryan Bouffier, the driver of the Ford Fiesta RS can clearly see tomorrow's second day coming, which will include the slopes of Turini. Faced with the grinta of Maurin, author of five scratches out of six possible, Bryan Bouffier tried to give the best possible opposition, he who admitted to not riding at 100% of his possibilities. In SS5, in the rain and helped by a poor choice of tires from his rival, he came back to less than 27″, but the king of French rallying in 2013 added a layer in the final time to widen the gap. gap. The Frenchman and the Korean team mainly came to work on the i20 and make it progress on asphalt before the world meetings in the second part of the season.

Behind the duo who set out with beating force, it is the Peugeot 207 S2000 of the Lebanese Roger Feghali who shows the end of his hood in third position, after having passed the two at the end of the day Porsche 911 of Patrick Rouillard, 4th and Gilles Nantet, 5th who spent part of this Friday on the podium. Note the abandonment of Eric Camilli and his Peugeot 207 S2000, cut short by a capricious fuel pump on the link between SS3 and the service park. Another abandonment in the Peugeot clan for Franck Lions.

In the Michelin Trophy, Feghali leads ahead of the 911s of Rouillard and Nantet. In the Citroën Racing Trophy, it is Cédric Robert who leads the debates.

The first special of the second stage will begin at 8:07 a.m., on the 16,21 km between the Col de Braus and the Col d'Ablé.

Antibes Rally Stage 1 ranking:

1. J. Maurin – N. Klinger (Ford Fiesta RS) in 1h08’32″9
2. B.Bouffier – X. Panseri (Hyundai i20 WRC) at 45″1
3. R. Feghali – J. Matar (Peugeot 207 S2000) at 3’25”
4. P. Rouillard – C. Gamboni (Porsche 911 997 GT3 Cup) at 3’43″2
5. G. Nantet – F. Gordon (Porsche 911 997 GT3 Cup at 3’43″8
6. P. Roché – M. Roché (Mini JCW WRC) at 3’53″6
7. C. Robert – M. Duval (Citroën DS3 R3) at 4'49″5 (1st Citroën Racing Trophy.
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