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there are many of turini onboards from previous years... the main problem is the stupid onboard camera position. You have to be incompetent at least to choose that position for an onboard camera... are these guys stupid ? have no idea about rallying ? both ? or they just do not care ?
Kubica used chassis 30 or 32?
A bit late but here what I saw. (on stage 1 and 3 the camera was out of function so no footage)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5IKgKgoXPM
Some impressions: Ogier's car handling above the others, high selfconfidence. Also like Evans who was more more impressive than Mikko. Buffier was quick but not spectacular where I saw. (out of one spin).
The stages are better aroung Gap than around Valence - hope the rally remains there.
The Turini was great feeling but due to heavy snow the cars were quite slow.
My RMC reflections
• The Hautes Alpes region around Gap has some breathtaking scenery and if there hadn’t been stupid rally cars to watch the walking itineraries would have been irresistible.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3759/1...9589237c_z.jpg
• The service park layout was haphazard and a bit cramped (maybe because one team has decided to recreate the premises of a major concessionaire wherever they go). Can’t help thinking the original plan of using Tallard airfield would have been better, but there was certainly a lot of local interest, including many banners cheering ‘their boy’ on.
• Actually the Hyundai arrangement where fans can now get closer to the service area without an intervening VIP / security corridor in the way is a brilliant idea.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3717/1...84164057_z.jpg
• Road manners for competitors appear to be discretionary! Between Barreme and St Andre-les-Alpes we were passed by Meeke travelling at scalded cat pace and witnessed him take 10 years off the life of an oncoming French driver with a last-ditch return to the correct side of the road. Further on at Puget-Therniers we saw Melicharek being given a dressing-down by les flics. Given the events of Saturday evening it’s a shame they didn’t throw him in the slammer.
No complaints about Protosov’s road manners – as we left Moulinet, heading to Sospel (soaked to the skin and very disgruntled) we could see his lights catching us rapidly. I gave him loads of room and indicated for him to pass, which he did just as we approached a tight epingle. He handbraked it round at competition pace and floored it. A spontaneous cheer was let out by the four of us – a treat to have a grandstand view! Can’t help thinking liaison time allowances are too tight for safety or legality and make for bad PR
• Savournon heights on the Vitrolles-Faye stage is a superb location to watch WRC. If you ever get the chance go, take it. Those who are interested will already have seen Luke’s video on the ‘tube (Rally Cameraman / 306 Cosworth). The atmosphere was special and wherever you stood from the summit to the base there was interest. I got chatting to several Gapencais in my poor French who seemed amazed les Anglais would come so far to see ‘MonteCarl’ Allyc85 on Flickr has a great shot of Bouffier from the inside of one bend - my 35mm shot taken simultaneously is due back from the lab this week.
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2826/1...49c3cbdd_z.jpg
• Actually the French came in handy to thank the farmer at Laborel on Day 1 after he gave me a slug of his aqua vie (for medicinal purposes he explained!)
• Bouffier was impressive from s/d to the end, as was Meeke. However there was an awesome inevitability that Day 2 would see Seb O take control, he doesn’t appear to be trying sometimes, then you see his stage time
• Gamba in his S2000 Peugeot was spectacular right from ES1 and well-deserved to beat all the WRC-2 drivers. Unfortunately, Duez in the Porsche was less than spectacular whenever we saw him, disappointing after the pre-event hype.
• The guys in the Clios, Twingos and C2s put on a great show down the field – My favourite was the Abarth 500
• If I go again I will
o Get the necessary materials for a camp fire – it appears compulsory. There were so many at shakedown it looked like fog after a while
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2860/1...7f4e8fa5_z.jpg
o Practice snow chain attachment – we didn’t get to the Turini owing to les Gendarmes directing us to Moulinet but if we had we might have been a comedy show for everyone else
o Be equally prepared for rain as I was for snow – Every garment was saturated after standing in the rain for 8 hours at Moulinet on the Saturday. Still we provided entertainment for the customers in McDonalds in Menton as we changed and towelled off while consuming our ‘Royales’ (something to do with the metric system?)
Rain at Moulinet
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3822/1...9080080f_z.jpg
• After 5 perfect days it was a shame that a) we didn’t make it to Turini and b) the anticipated show of the night stage at Moulinet was sabotaged by the Melicharek incident. I suppose I’ll have to go back sometime to experience the Turini vibe at least once but the extra day expenditure for hotel, car hire and food wasn’t justified for this edition. Regarding the AC de Monaco management of the last day Turini runs, the extension of Oscar Wilde’s maxim applies – Once is unfortunate, twice is careless, three times is stupidity. I await next year’s edition with interest. I won’t be there as I think the 2015 budget will be for Portugal and Finland but every fan of rallying should go at least once – it really is our equivalent of the Haj (now where did I put that beard dye)
Thank You for nice reading!
Thanks Mintex. You timed this perfectly with the 30min break between SS2 and 3 :)
thanks Mintex
On how sensitive film are you shooting on?
All the pics in my post are from my crossover digital camera (Fuji S5700) which was shooting at iso 1600 equiv.Quote:
Originally Posted by Franky
Coincidentally I had an iso 1600 film in the camera I used for my 'art' attempts. I hope to get the results back on fri/sat and will post anything worthwhile here
Brilliant write up mate, sums it up perfectly :cool: :D It was a brilliant event that I would do again in an instant if possible! The folllowing days at work were hell though. Zero energy and even less motivation!