Analysis of the Monte-Carlo 2020 route: a rally under influence

After Sweden, Japan and Sardinia, Monte-Carlo confirms its place on the 2020 calendar of WRC…even if the latter has still not been revealed! The regulations require organizers to present their project six months before it takes place, which the ACM did in Gap on the day of the arrival of the 17th stage of the Tour de France.

The personalities present, including Mayor Roger Didier, Renaud Muselier, the president of the PACA region and Jean-Marie Bernard, the president of the Hautes-Alpes department, all highlighted the economic role of the event. For his part, Christian Tornatore, the General Commissioner of the ACM and director of the event brought a little freshness in the middle of the heatwave by revealing the division.

Space issues

The 88th edition will take place from January 20 to 26. To the great despair of those who swear by Burzet and Moulinon, Monte-Carlo will not return to Valence and Ardèche in 2020. For the 7th consecutive year, Gap will be the host city. “It’s only because of the reception structures, explains Tornatore. We had given ourselves a three-year lease so that there would be a work-study program, but it is becoming practically impossible to find somewhere to accommodate a service park in the city. (Valence. Editor’s note) and around.

We had considered Chabeuil airport (Drôme, 11 km east of Valence, Editor’s note) but the activity of the site and the kerosene pump located right in the middle made this difficult. 80 committed, this requires very large areas. »

The congestion observed in Fontreyne, the space where the service park is located and where it will still be in 2020, corroborates these comments. “Even on this site, Tornatore agrees, we are at the limit. I am always embarrassed to install the professionals in good conditions and to put the amateurs far away, almost invisible to the public. » If the situation in terms of urbanization around Valencia has very little chance of improving in the years to come, we should not conclude too quickly that the soft capital will retain its role for many years to come. Indeed, despite the reputation of Monte-Carlo, its organizers today seem to see their room for maneuver reduced.

Constraints of all kinds

In addition to space concerns, the ACM is also faced with the lack of commissioners, organizational costs and sometimes to the availability of roads. This has a direct impact on the cutting. Upon reading it, it is possible to judge that the 2020 edition lacks character. There is 25% new, but this also means that a large part of the route is already known. The “longest” section will be 25,49 km (SS2: Bayons/Bréziers), Saturday will only have 4 stages, i.e. 75,38 km timed and the total timed mileage will be 305,47 km, while the maximum is 350.

For an event of such notoriety, it seems a little “light”. “The equipment needed to have radio points every 3 or 6 kilometers is still as expensive, explains Christian Tornatore. Security requires a lot of resources, so we are careful not to run tests that are too long. It is also becoming more and more difficult at the personnel level. With times of around twenty kilometers, we manage to have the same staff every day.

For the roads, we feel that there is a desire to make our task easier. For the section between Saint-Clément-sur-Durance and Freissinières (SS4/7, 20,76 km), the only truly new one, we have the assurance that the roads will not be blackened. It's not always the case !

In the Alpes-Maritimes, state services are required to clean up ice and snow and are responsible in the event of an accident. This sometimes leads to tense situations between their imperative and our desire to maintain winter conditions! » In addition to these numerous difficulties, the organizers of Monte-Carlo and other rounds of the calendar are obliged to take into account one last major parameter: the wishes of the promoter!

Dangerous interference

What is achieved today Red Bull Media House (in partnership with Sportsman Media Group), the promoter of the WRC, in terms of image is magnificent. For the enthusiast, being able to follow the race live is magical. For the neophyte, that's another question... and it's not certain that this "All Live" made it possible to attract a new audience in numbers. In his desire to make the WRC telegenic, does this promoter not sometimes go too far? Doesn't he end up asking (imposing?) the organizers to make changes or have demands that distort the events?

For Monte-Carlo 2020, Christian Tornatore never incriminates the promoter, but he also clearly explains that choices were made solely to satisfy him. “The start from Gap last year was magnificent, he explains. More the promoter strongly encouraged us to come back to Monte-Carlo. They want to have the Casino or the Palace in the background of their images. »

This request will first of all require that the shakedown be organized on Wednesday from 16 p.m. (at the same location as in 2019). Then, the entire caravan of rally will be forced to come to Monaco for a few symbolic seconds on the podium on Thursday (17 p.m.).

In the same vein, the organizers wanted a more virulent introduction. “We wanted theES1 leaves from Saint Jeannet, explains Tornatore with relish. Then, via the Col d'Espinouse, we would return to the Chaffaut road, where the start will finally be given. Unfortunately or fortunately, the special will be televised live and for technical reasons the promoter has asked us to shorten it.

This slowed us down since we had to remove around fifteen kilometers... but we are keeping it in the boxes, because it is superb in its very long version. » The season will therefore open with a time of 17,72 km with an anecdotal pace, even if we must always be wary, as Yves Loubet (released in 1988) and Alain Oreille (in 1994) can testify!

Another example of the promoter's intervention in the program of the 88th edition results in the almost obligatory presence of the Turini. “We try to introduce new events every year. Using traditional sections would require a lot more staff and in the end it is no longer manageable, explains Tornatore who concludes with humor. 

However, we still do the Turini, because I know very well that if we don't do it, the promoter will barely come to the Monte-Carlo rally! »

With its pitfalls linked to winter conditions, the Monte-Carlo remains an exciting rally and a rough reading of the 2020 program for this legendary round leaves one wanting more. However, the enumeration of the imperatives allows us to better understand that today even the iconoclastic Monte-Carlo is obliged to fit into the mold. And that is very regrettable.

1994

The last time the Monte-Carlo took the route between Malijai and Puimichel. The special was then shorter: 12,32 km compared to 17,72 km next year

1

One euro invested = 18 euros of benefits generated by Monte-Carlo in Gap and the surrounding area

The program for the 2020 Monte-Carlo Rally

Monday January 20 to Wednesday January 22: recognition

Wednesday January 22: Shakedown P1 (Route de la Garde and RD503 (Gap) 3,35 km from 16:00 p.m.)

Thursday January 23: Stage 1 (43,21 km)

17:00 p.m.: Departure from Monaco – Place du Casino

SS1: Malijai-Puimichel (17,72 km) 20:38 p.m.

SS2: Bayons-Bréziers (25,49 km) 22:26 p.m.

Support at Gap

Friday January 24: Stage 2 (122,90 km)

SS3: Curbans-Venterol 1 (20,10 km) 8h36

SS4: Saint-Clément-sur-Durance-Freissinières 1 (20,76 km) 9:54 a.m.

SS5: Avançon-Notre-Dame-du-Laus 1 (20,59 km) 11:17 a.m.

Support at Gap

SS6: Curbans-Venterol 2 (20,10 km) 13h53

SS7: Saint-Clément-sur-Durance-Freissinières 2 (20,76 km) 15:11 a.m.

SS8: Avançon-Notre-Dame-du-Laus 2 (20,59 km) 16:34 a.m.

Support at Gap

Saturday January 25: Stage 3 (75,38 km)

SS9: Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes-La Bâtie-Neuve 1 (20,10 km) 9:54 a.m.

SS10: La Bréole-Selonnet 1 (20,76 km) 11:12 a.m.

Support at Gap

SS11: Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes-La Bâtie-Neuve 2 (20,10 km) 14:08 a.m.

SS12: La Bréole-Selonnet 2 (20,76 km) 15:26 a.m.

Support at Gap

Sunday January 26: Stage 4 (63,98 km)

SS13 La Bollène-Vésubie-Peïra-Cava 1 (18,41 km) 8:17 a.m.

SS14 La Cabanette-Col de Braus 1 (13,58 km) 9:08 a.m.

SS15 La Bollène-Vésubie-Peïra-Cava 1 (18,41 km) 10:55 a.m.

SS16 La Cabanette-Col de Braus Power Stage 2 (13,58 km) 12:18 p.m.

Podium in Monaco from 15:00 p.m.