Rallye de France bosses set for WRC encounter

Rallye de France Alsace chiefs say they are ready and waiting to welcome the World Rally Championship entourage and the thousands of fans expected to line the route when the event gets underway a week tomorrow (Friday).

Based on the outskirts of Strasbourg, the rally forms round 11 of the 13-event WRC season and is set to witness a thrilling battle for victory between the factory Citroen DS3 WRCs of Alsace-born Sebastien Loeb, his team-mate Sebastien Ogier plus the works Ford Fiesta RS WRCs of Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala.

“Everything is ready to welcome the teams and offer the many spectators an exceptional spectacle in the best possible conditions respecting safety and the environment,” said Dominique Serieys, the event director. “With 66 entries in the WRC and 75 in the Grand National [rally], the 2011 event has a superb field and will be the theatre of an intense battle at every level.”

Nicolas Deschaux, the president of the French motorsport federation, the FFSA, added: “The aim of our federation is to make the French round of the World Rally Championship one of the most popular events in France and a sporting rendezvous not to be missed.

“Last year, we attracted almost 250,000 spectators and 69 million TV viewers throughout the world. This year we have focused all our efforts on the fundamentals that for us are safety and the environment. I would also like to underline the precious help given to us by the Alsatian territorial authorities and all the services of the State, which have helped us organise the rally in the best possible conditions.”

The second running of Rallye de France to take place in Alsace features 23 stages over a competitive distance of 348.13 kilometres. Changes to this year’s route include the new Vignoble de Cleebourg and Graviere de Bischwiller tests, a stage through the streets of Mulhouse plus the Power Stage through Loeb’s home town, Haguenau. A full event preview will appear on Wrc.com tomorrow (Friday).