IRC Rally Monte-Carlo preview : The centenary edition

Following three days of reconnaissance from Saturday 15 until Monday 17 January, this year’s Rallye Monte-Carlo gets underway on Wednesday 19 January with the first of 13 special stages. Day one features four taxing stages in the Ardeche and Haute Loire regions, including the longest two tests of the rally, the 36.87-kilometre Le Moulinon-Antraigues stage and the 41.06-kilometre Burzet-St Martial run, which are separated by a tyre change halt in Vals les Bains. Both stages are part of Rallye Monte-Carlo legend and return to the itinerary after several years’ absence.

Thursday’s action features two loops of mountainous stages run twice north-east of Valence and separated by a service stop in the city. Following a final service halt in Valence on Friday morning, crews begin the 390-kilometre journey to Monaco via the last Drome stage, Montauban sur l’Ouveze-Eygalayes. Upon arrival in Monaco, cars enter parc ferme while the drivers and co-drivers are able to rest before the four night stages in the Alpes Maritimes.

However, only the leading 60 competitors at the completion of the Montauban sur l’Ouveze stage will be permitted to tackle the nighttime tests, in keeping with one of the event’s long-standing traditions.

The winner is likely to be known at approximately 00:30hrs on Saturday 22 January with the prize- giving taking place in the Place du Palais at 11:00hrs.