Morzine, France, September 5th 2023 - After the Rallye Aveyron Rouergue Occitanie, another heavyweight challenge faced the Alpine Elf Rally Trophy competitors as they returned to action after the summer break with round four, the Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine.
The rally is known for its spectacular Alpine roads and stunning views, but it is also a very demanding event. Twelve cars were entered in the Trophy for this sizeable challenge, and although Ludovic Godard was first off the mark, Pierre Roché, already a two-time winner this season, wasted no time in showing he was also a serious contender for the win. He moved into the lead on SS2, before Godard grabbed it back from him on SS4. From then on, fans were treated to a superb no-holds-barred scrap between the two men until SS7 when Godard, who held a narrow five-second lead at that point, suddenly lost 14.7s. Having regained the lead, Roché managed to hold onto first until the end, despite Godard racking up four consecutive stage wins. Pierre Roché thus secured his third win of the year in the Trophy, along with a fine thirteenth place overall, thus confirming further his already dominant lead in the Alpine Elf Rally Trophy standings.
Behind him, Ludovic Godard, runner-up at the Rallye Lyon-Charbonnières and third at the Rallye Aveyron Rouergue Occitanie, was second to claim a third podium finish having pushed his rival all the way, whilst Grégory Fontalba grabbed third position, just ahead of the evergreen Jean-François Mourgues. Finally, on an event that tends to favour four-wheel drive cars, it is worth noting the fine sixth and seventh place finishes achieved by Quentin Gilbert and Raphaël Astier in the Alpine A110 Rally, neither of whom were competing in the Trophy. Their results prove once again that the incredible balance of the Dieppe brand’s rear-wheel car offers unrivalled performance-to-pleasure ratio, regardless of the roads tackled. The Alpine A110 Rally will have another opportunity to showcase its qualities at the next round of the Alpine Elf Rally Trophy, held on 29 September to 1 October, on the fast tarmac roads of the Rallye Cœur de France.
