A SUCCESSFULL EDITION!
After the success of the first edition, the second one was to confirm. The smiles on the faces of drivers and spectators awarded the organizers for their endeavor.
Following route openers as Pierre Mény (Alpine A 310 V6), Patrick Henry (Lancia Stratos) or the everlasting young Jean Ragnotti (Renault Mégane), about 120 cars started from La Bresse to assault the the demonstration stages on Vosges country roads. Among them, the champions of the eighties could measure their intact popularity. Even when Stig Blomqvist had to confront to a language barrier, broad smiles and thumbs up of the spectators made the message real. He took the wheel successively of an Audi Quattro A2 formerly driven byBuffum and his Ford Sierra Cosworth on which he rung second place at RAC Rally 1987.
Aventure Peugeot prepared especially for Bruno Saby the 205 Turbo 16 who won New-Zealand and Argentina Rally 1985 with Timo Salonen. Co-driven by his son Pierre, he demonstrated that he has not lost anything of his knowhow. Another Peugeot, the 205 Rallye Group A entried by GCAP (Groupement des Concessionnaires des Automobiles Peugeot) during 1985 season with Fabien Doenlen. Accompanied by his faithful Evelyne Merciol, they found with high emotion the cockpit of the lioness again.
François Chatriot came with his mytic MAXI 5 « 27FJE75 ». Initially here just for exhibition, the public saw her dancing on the Super Stage of Épinal and demonstration stage of Col de Grosse Pierre.
The starting list allied both variety and quality. Among the Group B cars, one found a Nissan 240 RS and a Ford RS 200, two cars rarely seen in France, as well as at last minute the Safari Rally Audi Quattro driven in 1985 by Michèle Mouton.
The older ones Lancia Stratos delighted the public with the song of their engines, and the Volkswagen Beetle proved she was not only a film star, but also an authentic race car formerly managed by an official constructor team.
Even when the rear wheel drive cars assured the show (Éric Rallet’s Sunbeam won the public award), the front wheel drive Mini Cooper of Christophe Faivre Pierret proved that it also can be very spectacular.
The observations of participants as well as spectators are unanimous: Slowly Sideways France has found the ideal concept. Absence of timekeeping favours the show and the demonstrations stages on several laps decreases recce for drivers and provides more show for public. The service park in the heart of La Bresse is an exchange and communion place between crews and spectators as they can approach very close to this rolling museum.
And about the Super Stage in Épinal and the Roadshow LABELLEMONTAGNE, both have been a plebiscite: a innumerable public was present all around the circuits.
Appointment is given for 2018. But it remains to determine the date and location because a Mountain Bike World Championship stage will be take place on last week-end of August in La Bresse.
