Central Europe: Yohan Rossel: “The drier it is, the better off we will be”

At the end of the reconnaissance, are you able to distinguish between German, Czech and Austrian ES?

Not really. However, I find that Friday is tough. The times are in the undergrowth, it's narrow... if the weather gets involved, it will be very demanding. Saturday and Sunday offer more open areas. There is a little more visual. We had two stages in the rain while we did the rest in the dry. Anticipating changes in grip will require intense concentration.

Are you worried about the strings?

First of all, compared to what I had seen on the videos, it turns more. The organizers have placed blocks which are strong enough not to make you want to rub against them. Without these obstacles, it was almost possible to go full throttle, but now you practically have to drop two gears. We spoke about it with Andreas Mikkelsen and he says he likes this terrain moderately. It doesn't bother me that much. It's just that we won't be able to let go completely because it's going to rain, because it will be dark and we'll have to be careful of the ropes.

What do you think of the concept proposed by this CER?

During our discussion with Andreas, we mentioned the old meetings on asphalt, the Vosges with sick special stages, the Tour de Corse, Catalunya, Sanremo… and we have just done a round which is a little disappointing. For me, however, I consider that their idea of ​​doing the rally in 3 countries brings something new. We are in the world championship and we have to try to reach more people. We're always complaining that nothing is moving, so why not try this setup?

What will be your goal this weekend?

At shakedown, it was a little complicated in the wet. We found a setting, but we'll have to see if it fits. What is certain is that the drier it is, the better off we will be, but if there is water, we will have to make do with it. I don't put more pressure on myself than that. We are going to play our card to the fullest. We know we have our chances.