After a long day and a well-deserved restful night rocked by the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, drivers and co-drivers set off this morning from the La Baule parc fermé and headed for Limoges. On the day’s programme was the crossing of the magnificent boscage landscapes of the Vendean moors, plus an event on the technical Val de Vienne circuit that called on the drivers’ experience before their arrival in the Limoges parc fermé in the Limousin region.
At the first stop of the day, a crowd of spectators massed in front of the gates of the Celles-sur-Belle Royal Abbey to await the drivers and co-drivers and admire the Shelby Cobras and E-Type Jaguars, as well as the numerous BMW 2002s and 3.0 CSis on this year’s entry list because no fewer than 24 BMWs are entered for the 31st edition of the Tour Auto!
Oil on the track! The second stop on the Val de Vienne circuit saw its lot of incidents and the result was an enthralling spectacle for the public. Laurent and Marion Desplaces had to retire from the race when the engine in their #231 1962 3.8-litre E-Type Jaguar failed. Battle raged between the #218 Shelby Cobra driven by Thierry Boutsen and the #273 Gr.IV Ferrari 365 GTB/4 in the hands of Jérémy Lancksweert who finished the race in fourth and fifth positions in 44m 15s and 44m 39s respectively, a few seconds behind Brigand’s winning #262 Porsche 911 Carrera RX 3.0.
Rendez-vous tomorrow between Limoges and Bordeaux to follow the Tour Auto cavalcade in the three special stages that include the Vallée de l’Homme in the Black Périgord region and Puisseguin.
