Eleven years later, Denis Giraudet returns to victory in the CFR at Rhône-Charbonnières

This is also one of the beautiful stories of this Rally Rhône-Charbonnières, the second round of the French Rally Championship, took place last weekend. Raphaël Astier secured his first career victory in the pinnacle of the national sport, but this success also marked Denis Giraudet's first CFR win since the 2015 Critérium des Cévennes, which he won alongside Yoann Bonato in a... Peugeot 208 T16. As an aside, this victory was Yoann Bonato's very first in the French Rally Championship, and we can now credit Denis Giraudet, who turned 70 last December, with having accompanied these two drivers to their first laurels in the CFR. "I hadn't even noticed that, it's certainly not thanks to me, but it's funny."commented the man with nearly 500 rally starts in his career.

Denis Giraudet admires Raphaël Astier's performances

Since the start of the season, Denis Giraudet has been constantly thrilled by his driver's performance and the enjoyment he gets from being on board their car. Porsche 992 GT+. Images from the Rallye Le Touquet – Pas-de-Calais, where Giraudet appeared very emotional at the finish of a special stage, have also been circulating on social media. "I don't want to elicit sympathy, but family members and loved ones around me are going through difficult times, and this makes me realize how lucky I am to be here.""That's what I thought," mused Denis Giraudet upon arriving at the Rhône-Charbonnières Rally. Having seen it all, both in terms of cars and drivers, he knows how to recognize Raphaël Astier's talent. "When I tell you that this guy is exceptional, I mean it. I've driven with two or three guys who knew how to turn a steering wheel, but Raphaël is really good and I hope this victory will be recognized for its true worth.", he wanted to clarify.

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Another line added to Denis Giraudet's list of achievements

The ever-reliable Denis Giraudet won the 2026 Rhône-Charbonnières Rally, which is "only" his third victory in the French Rally Championship (CFR). Two of them have already been mentioned, the first dating back to the 2009 Critérium des Cévennes with Jean-François Mourgues and the Peugeot 307. WRC of Bozian Racing. His record is matched only by his exceptional longevity, having navigated for drivers such as Didier Auriol, Juha Kankkunen, Armin Schwarz, Romain Dumas, and Yoann Bonato, to name just a few, as the list is incredibly long. At this Rhône-Charbonnières Rally, Denis Giraudet also broke a record: he is now the oldest winner of the event, surpassing Gilles Mondesir, who had held the record since his last victory in the rally alongside Dany Snobeck in 2012.