Burgund – Franche Comté, die Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes und Okzitanien sind die 3 Regionen, die wir während des Marathon de la Route durchqueren werden. 12 Departements werden auf unserer Strecke liegen, und auch wenn wir sie manchmal ein zweites Mal durchfahren, sind die Etappen nie dieselben, selbst im Vergleich zu 2019.

Andere, noch aussagekräftigere touristische Namen werden Sie endgültig überzeugen: Burgund, Cantal, das Aubrac-Hochland, die Vulkane der Auvergne und die Ardèche vor einer Ankunft im reizvollen Beaune.

Im frühen Samstagnachmittag starten wir in Autun, SAONE ET LOIRE, Richtung NIEVRE und die Straßen des Morvan mit einer Passage durch das durch François Mitterrand berühmt gewordene Château-Chinon.

Nach einigen RT im Norden von ALLIER und in der Nähe von Vichy erreichen wir Lapalisse zum Abendessen. 

Die erste Nachtfahrt führt durch die Monts de la Madeleine und die Region Forez mit Endziel PUY DE DOME und Clermont Ferrand.

2020 wird ein großartiges Jahr für den Marathon de la Route de trajectoire sein ! Die vom 13. bis 16. Juni geplante Veranstaltung wird ein großer Erfolg werden, wie Jean-François Devillers, Manager von trajectoire, am vergangenen Wochenende auf der InterClassics-Messe in Maastricht feststellen konnte.

“Wir haben bereits die Anmeldungen von 30 Teilnehmern registriert", sagt der Veranstalter. Dies ist eindeutig ein gutes Omen, da wir wissen, dass sich mehrere Besatzungen, insbesondere auf der niederländischsprachigen Seite, noch nicht offiziell registrieren haben. Dies gilt auch für die nächsten Legend Boucles @ Bastogne, die nach der Veranstaltung Bilanz ziehen werden, oder für die bereits beim Marathon de la Route 2019 anwesenden Teilnehmer, mit denen wir in Kontakt bleiben. Die Zahl von 50 Autos am Start werden wir sicherlich erreichen...".

Ein Grund, warum die sehr vorläufige Teilnehmerliste bereits gut aussieht, ist ihre internationale Konnotation. Auch wenn die Organisation belgisch ist, möchten die Franzosen mit von der Partie sein, um sich auf oft gut bekannten Straßen zu vergnügen. Dies iKonkurrenz ist gross für die traditionsgemäss "schwarz-gelb-roten" Regelmässigkeitsexperten. 

Seit dem 3. Dezember bis einschließlich 15. Januar gilt die zweite Preisermässigung, d.h. ein Preisnachlass von 100 Euro auf die Teilnahmegebühren.

Bei Einschreibung von 3 Besatzungen gleichzeitig wird jedem Team ein zusätzlicher Rabatt von 100 Euro gewährt.

Wenn Sie ein Team sponsorn, das weder an der Liège-Rome-Liège 2017 und 2018 noch am Marathon 2019 teilgenommen hat, wird Ihnen ein zusätzlicher Rabatt von 50€ gewährt.

Alle diese Vorteile sind kombinierbar.

It is an eternal debate in the world of regularity: should we favour old-fashioned navigation without instrumentation or follow technological evolution?  

It is not up to us to decide. Our aim is to provide an answer so that you can enjoy participating in the Marathon de la Route  and achieve good results whatever your type of navigation.

Already in 2019, we communicated  before the rally the average speeds used for approximately half of the RTs, allowing  the copilotes to encode them in their instruments.

For the other RTs, the regularity tables were distributed to everyone from the RTs.

Evolution of the rule.

In 2020, we propose an evolution of this system, taking into account your comments made in the inquiery.

• The publication in advance of the average speeds used for only 50% of the RTs remains.
• For the other 50% of RTs, you can choose to use the classic regularity table or a table of averages to be encoded.

It is clear that the technology provides greater accuracy than traditional time tables. Thus, crews using Blunik type instrumentation will be penalized by 0.25 point per time taken.

This 0.25 point penalty fills the gap of accuracy of digital technology and traditional manual tables. It will be the  team’s decision to to use the method they prefer in full knowledge of the facts.

Schreiben Sie sich bis zum 2. Dezember zum Vorzugspreise von 2445 Euro (ohne Unterkunft) ein und sparen Sie 150 Euro!

Zusätzliche Rabatte sind möglich:

Rabatt pro Team: - 100 Euro /Wagen
Gleichzeitige Registrierung dreier Teams.
(Rabatt wird pro Wagen gewährt).

Patenschaft: - 50 Euro /Neuankömmling
Jeder Teilnehmer, der ein  neues Team sponsorisiert, welches an keiner der 3 letzten Ausgaben teilgenommen hat, erhält einen Zusatzrabatt.

Nach dem Erfolg der 2019iger Ausgabe im vergangenen Juni steht der Marathon de la Route auch 2020 wieder im Kalender der Gleichmässigkeitsrallyes für Oldtimer.

Jean-François Devillers und das gesamte Trajectoire-Team wollen die Gelegenheit nutzen, die neuen Daten für die 2020iger Ausgabe anzukündigen. Die Rallye findet vom 13. bis 16. Juni statt, eine Woche später als 2019...


"Die Suche nach dem idealen Termin ist immer eine große Herausforderung für jeden Organisator", laut Jean-François Devillers. "Ursprünglich wollten wir unsere Rallye vom 20. bis 23. Juni planen, um dem British Classic Marathon zu entkommen, aber aufgrund der Nichtverfügbarkeit von zwei Hotels an diesen Tagen mussten wir alles um eine Woche verschieben".

Zur Erinnerung: Trajectoire verwaltet im Gegensatz zu anderen Organisationen auch alle Hotels für Teilnehmer und Assistenz. Von Samstag, den 13. Juni 2020, bis Dienstag, den 16. Juni 2020, werden alle wie im letzten Jahr in Frankreich eine tolle Zeit verbringen dank den unvermeidlichen Joseph Lambert und Eric Chapa, die auch dieses Jahr wieder die Ausarbeitung und Leitung dieser Rallye übernehmen".

An Ihre Kalender ... Ausgangsstädte sind dieses Jahr Spa, Reims, Valence und Beaune. Was die Route betrifft, so werden wir in Kürze die verschiedenen Etappen veröffentlichen. Alles, was Sie tun müssen, ist, auf die in den  offiziellen Medien des Marathon de la Route, entweder die Website www.liege-rome-liege.org oder die Facebook-Seite von Trajectoire zu achten. Bis bald...

Four days of racing between Nancy and Beaune, the rare beauty of landscapes that have won unanimous acclaim, and ultimately, a rebound and a ranking that changes in the ultimate regularity tests ! No doubt, the 2019 Marathon de la Route organised by the Trajectoire team was a great vintage, and the teams have greatly appreciated ...

As to the race, it was thought that Stéphane Blaise and Patrick Lienne (Porsche 911), leaders since the second stage, were in for the win, ready to just slide to Beaune. A mistake, as the top 5 of the Marathon de la Route is composed of some of the best Belgian teams, which means that the slightest approximation or hesitation can cost a lot. So much so that some have managed to 'go to zero' in parts that had as much as 14 time checks ! Proof of the excellence of the teams who have made regularity their specialty ...

In the final part of the event, the duo Blaise-Lienne missed a change of average, which cost them 8 points ... and the victory! Already winners of the Liège-Rome-Liège in 2018, Michel Decremer and Yannick Albert (Opel Ascona) took this at their advantage, rushing into the breach to win with an advance of ... 4.4 points!

"It was clearly not played at all," explained Yannick Albert after the podium. In fact, the one who was going to emerge victorious from this superb four-day fight was the team who was able to keep its coolness to the end ! This victory makes us just as happy, Michel and me, as the one last year, when we won the Liège-Rome-Liège almost by accident, Yves Deflandre having been penalised without making a mistake. We really loved this Marathon de la Route. Of course, the 'Liège' is prestigious and grandiose in terms of landscapes, but this concentrated version was incredibly dense and terribly rhythmic. A real four-day marathon! "

Behind Decremer-Albert and Blaise-Lienne, the final podium of the 2019 Marathon is completed by Yves and Benoît Deflandre (Porsche 911), authors of a devilish finish, after having won the night loop of the penultimate step. The Orange 911 was ahead of Yves Noelanders and Renaud Herman's Volvo PV544, Johnny Delhez and Robert Vandevorst's Ford Escort MK1 and Kurt Vanderspinnen and Anton Dupan's Ford Cortina Lotus. The best 'non-Belgians' were the British Mark and Susan Godfrey (MG B), very good 8th overall, finishing between Schoonbroodt-Gehlen (Ford Escort MK1) and Declerck-Vyncke (Porsche 911 Targa). It was the Lamotte-Polet duo (Lancia Fulvia HF) that closed the top 10.

"This 2019 Marathon de la Route was excellent," says Jean-François Devillers, organizer. Of course, four days of racing is easier to manage than seven, but the teams were delighted to cross exceptional regions such as the Ardèche and and the Drôme, which clearly won unanimous acclaim. What are we going to do in 2020 ? It is still too early to say, and in fact, it is the competitors who will give their opinion and who will dictate our final choice. But this formula pleased, that's for sure ! "

At the end of these four very intense days, Jean-François Devillers, Eric Chapa, Joseph Lambert and all the others will start by resting ... before considering the continuation of a history that for sure will be even more exciting!

Marathon de la Route 2019 / Final Ranking (unofficial)

Decremer-Albert (Opel Ascona), 449,9 pts
Blaise-Lienne (Porsche 911), 454,3 pts
Deflandre-Deflandre (Porsche 911), 481,7 pts
Noelanders-Herman (Volvo PV544), 573,7 pts
Delhez-Vandevorst (Ford Escort MK1), 637,0 pts
Vanderspinnen-Dupan (Ford Cortina Lotus), 739,3 pts
Schoonbroodt-Gehlen (Ford Escort MK1), 910,3 pts
Godfrey-Godfrey (MG B), 994,7 pts
Declerck-Vyncke (Porsche 911 Targa), 1145,1 pts
Lamotte-Polet (Lancia Fulvia HF), 1236,7 pts
Etc.

No, the 2019 Marathon de la Route, which started Saturday afternoon in Nancy, has nothing to do with cruising, despite the beauty of the landscapes crossed. This Monday, between Grenoble and Vals-les-Bains, the competitors faced a thick fog, hail and rain! Four regularity tests were on the morning program, six more in the afternoon, and it was around 18:30 that the cars appeared in Vals-les-Bains, a famous spa in the Ardèche.

"From a sportive point of view, everything is going well and the gaps remain small, says Jean-François Devillers, head of Trajectoire and organizer of the Marathon de la Route. Over a distance of 20 kilometres, there are sometimes 1.5 points or 2 points difference between the best, which says a lot about the expertise of each. This means that the slightest mistake can be paid cash in the ranking. It was assumed that this Monday would be the most difficult day of the event, because once arrived in Vals-les-Bains, competitors will take possession of their rooms, have dinner ... and leave for a night loop organized between 21 hours and 1 am ! No less than five RTs are still on the program, which means that the event may well bounce back on Monday night ! And tomorrow morning, we leave at 8 am for a itinerary passing through Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, a very high place of the Rally of Monte-Carlo, but also sections visited by the Lyon-Charbonnières, for an arrival in Beaune around 19:30. It's around 9:00 pm that the final general classification should be officialised ... "

After having had bad luck last year, Stéphane Blaise and Patrick Lienne (Porsche 911) took the lead in the Marathon de la Route at the second stage between Besançon and Grenoble. They confirmed this Monday during the day, leading the provisional ranking before the night loop. But in their wake, we see Yves Noelanders and Renaud Herman (Volvo PV544), but also Michel Decremer and Yannick Albert (Opel Ascona) at just a few points, while Yves and Benoît Deflandre (Porsche 911), as well as Johnny Delhez and Robert Vandevorst (Ford Escort MK1) are ready to give it their utmost during the night. In short, nothing is certain yet !

Appointment this Tuesday at the end of the day for the outcome of a 2019 Marathon de la Route widely appreciated by the competitors. Place your bets !

Après une boucle nocturne ayant clôturé la première étape du Marathon de la Route en mettant l’accent sur la navigation, ce qui en a déconcerté plus d’un, l’épreuve orchestrée par Trajectoire s’est poursuivie entre Besançon et Grenoble ce dimanche. Avec au menu un terrain de jeu sensiblement différent, traversant Doubs et Jura, et gagnant en altitude pour se clôturer en moyenne montagne. Au menu de cette étape figuraient 8 tests de régularité, tandis que la pluie s’invitait à la fête sur le temps de midi.

Alors que l’épreuve atteignait déjà la mi-parcours, Stéphane Blaise et Patrick Lienne (Porsche 911) étaient les grands bénéficiaires du jour, se portant aux commandes en prenant le meilleur sur Yves Noelanders et Renaud Herman (Volvo PV544), leaders la veille au soir, qui ont rencontré des soucis de suspension les renvoyant en 5ème position provisoire. De leur côté, Yves et Benoît Deflandre (Porsche 911) ont connu une fin de journée difficile, quelques tracasseries mécaniques n’ayant finalement pas de réelle incidence sur leur classement, le célèbre bolide orange pointant en 3ème position provisoire derrière l’Opel Ascona de Michel Decremer et Yannick Albert, et devant la Ford Escort MK1 de Johnny Delhez et Robert Vandervorst. Et comme une centaine de points seulement sépare le top 5, tout reste bien sûr possible…

En ce lundi de Pentecôte, la caravane prendra la direction de Vals-les-Bains et de l’Ardèche, pour une étape qui pourrait s’avérer très importante en vue du décompte final. Non seulement le Marathon de la Route roulera sur le tracé de certaines spéciales mythiques du Rallye de Monte-Carlo, mais les 4 tests de régularité du matin et les 6 RT de l’après-midi seront suivis d’une nouvelle boucle de nuit riche de 5 épreuves de classement ! Grosse journée en perspective, et un classement qui a de fortes chances d’évoluer sur les routes étroites de l’Ardèche. Va y avoir du sport…

For the fifty crews starting the Marathon de la Route 2019, the wait ended on Saturday, June 8, the day of the great departure and a first rather solid stage. As early as 8 am, the cars left the three pre-departure cities, Spa, Reims and Beaune, to reach Nancy, where the official start was given at 15:00 in a very pleasant setting, the Parc de la Pépinière, near the famous Place Stanislas.

"It's worth noting the quality of the welcome we received in Nancy," says Jean-François Devillers, head of the company Trajectoire, organizer of the event. The park in which we found ourselves had no longer hosted a 'motor' event for twenty years, which shows the confidence that the authorities of Nancy have given us. I especially want to thank the technical services of the city for their investment. "

Five tests of regularity (RT) were on the menu of the first part of this initial stage, before a dinner break in the station of ... La Planche des Belles Filles, summit of the Vosges mountains, culminating at 1148 meters, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region ! After having eaten and recuperated, the crews left towards Besançon, the first stage city, which they had to reach after a night stage with four additional RT.

At the time of the dinner break, the ranking pleaded in favor of Yves Noelanders and Renaud Herman (Volvo PV544), who lead the dance in front of Yves et Benoît Deflandre (Porsche 911), Johnny Delhez et Robert Vandevorst (Ford Escort MK1), Michel Decremer et Yannick Albert (Opel Ascona), but also Andrew and Sarah Mallagh (Porsche 911). Results that remain of course provisional and unofficial.

See you tomorrow night for a new update of the situation at the end of the second stage, which will lead the competitors of the Route 2019 Marathon from Besançon to Grenoble.

If there are 3 departure cities, the schedules are identical.

Administrative and vehicle controls checks: Friday, June 7 from 18:00 to 20:00
Start of the concentration route: Saterday, June 8 at 08:01

The meeting places are:

Spa:       Controls and departure: Parc de Sept Heure
Reims:    Controls at IBIS Reims Tinqueux
              Departure from the circuit of Reims Gueux
Beaune:  Controls and departure: IBIS Beaune Centre.

The official start in Nancy takes place:
Parc de la Pépinière, Saturday 8 June, 15:01
(Arrival first cars around 13:00)

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In the ranks of the Trajectoire team, which runs the 2019 Road Marathon, the days are counted... Indeed, it is this Saturday, June 8 at 3:00 pm that the big start will be given in Nancy, more precisely from the beautiful Parc de la Pépinière, just behind Place Stanislas.

Make no mistake about it, however, the fifty or so crews ready to compete for four days between Nancy, Besançon, Grenoble, Vals-les-Bains and Beaune, through Vosges, Jura, Vercors, Vivarais and Ardèche, will be at work... from the evening before!

Indeed, the technical and administrative inspection operations will take place on Friday between 6pm and 8pm in the three pre-departure cities of Spa, Reims and Beaune. And it is on Saturday morning, at 8:00 am, that the cars will start for the concentration course bringing everyone back to Nancy in the late morning.

After the time required to install the Tripy and calibrate it, competitors will enjoy the last moments of calm before the big start! On the menu: a first stop towards Besançon which will include a night loop ending around midnight! This is called getting to the heart of the matter right away!

This means that the battle is likely to be a breathless one at the top of the rankings from the outset, especially since there are many favourite crews, including Decremer-Albert (Opel Ascona), Deflandre-Deflandre (Porsche 911), Ballet-Ballet (Porsche 911), Declerck-Vyncke (Porsche 911), Vanderspinnen-Dupan (Ford Cortina Lotus), Crucifix-Moustakas (Ford Anglia), Noelanders-Herman (Volvo PV544), Godfrey-Godfrey (MG B), Dujardyn-Deplancke (Porsche 911), Delhez-Vandevorst (Ford Escort MK1), Schoonbroodt-Gehlen (Ford Escort MK1), Baugnée-Remion (Porsche 911), Van Rompuy-Goris (Opel Ascona), Van Peer-Caldeira (BMW 2002), etc. And there could be many surprises, with French crews playing at home, and who could beat the odds.

See the list

See the list

Le compte à rebours a débuté pour l’équipe de Trajectoire organisatrice du Marathon de la Route 2019. La liste officielle et définitive des engagés, riche d’une cinquantaine de voitures, est publiée. L’occasion de relever la présence de trois équipages inscrits ‘sur le tard’, mais qui ne devraient pas manquer de faire parler d’eux. A commencer par Kurt Vanderspinnen et Antonio Dupan, qui mettront leur expérience en commun dans l’habitacle de la bien connue Ford Cortina Lotus 1964. Un duo qui s’ajoute au groupe des favoris à la victoire, très bien achalandé en vue des réjouissances programmées entre le 8 et le 11 juin au départ de Nancy.

Nettement moins courante est la Citroën Dyane alignée par Felix Quirijnen et Corneille Trullemans, qui misera sur sa légendaire fiabilité à défaut de pouvoir profiter d’une puissance conséquente. Une bonne surprise est néanmoins à attendre pour la sympathique grande sœur de la 2CV…

Enfin, la catégorie ‘Challenger’, lancée en prévision du Liège-Rome-Liège 2019, accueille au départ rien moins qu’une Alpine A110, la célèbre Berlinette chère à Jean Rédélé, que se partageront le Français Patrick Lansier et le Belge Alex Paquay. Une voiture qui croisera le fer avec la Shelby Cobra de Nico Depondt et Gorik Vandersanden.

Cette fois, tout est en place, que la fête du Marathon de la Route 2019 commence…

As announced many weeks ago, Nancy will be the starting point for the 2019 Marathon de la Route, the organisation of the Trajectoire team. But before passing on the podium installed in the heart of the city of the Far East, the competitors will have covered a grouping route from three equidistant cities of Nancy. There are even three Routes on offer, the Water Route, the Burgundy Wine Route and the Champagne Route! Explanations....

The Water Route will see the competitors start from Spa, with a flight from the famous "Parc des 7 Heures". The crews will head for Francorchamps, Stavelot, Trois-Ponts, to reach the province of Luxembourg, refuel at Martelange and stop at the BMW Bilia-Emond Garage in Arlon. Via national roads and motorways, the Water Route caravan will pass through Longwy and Metz to Nancy, at the end of a 259-kilometre journey.

If Beaune, in the heart of Burgundy, will serve as the finishing city at the end of the 2019 Marathon de la Route, this city will also be one of the starting points for those who have chosen the Burgundy Wine Route! With a route towards Dijon that will cross such famous vineyards as Aloxe-Corton, Vosne-Romanée, Vougeot, Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-St-Georges, etc. After about seventy kilometres, the cars will travel by motorway to the south of Nancy, a distance of 265 kilometres.

As for the Champagne Route, it will of course start from Reims, also the starting point for the Rallye de Monte-Carlo Historique. Road Marathon competitors will be welcomed on the Reims-Gueux Circuit, where the circuit's preservation committee will do them proud. Then, 50 kilometres of the true Champagne Route, between vineyards and famous cellars, all in the direction of Châlons-en-Champagne. Heading for Nancy via Nationals 44 and 4, for a total of 235 kilometres. 

Once all these people have arrived in Nancy, the roadworthiness tests and the installation of the Tripy will take place at the Automobile Club Lorrain (ACL) in Nancy.

As you can see, the 2019 Road Marathon will already be a celebration before the big start... 

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator

REC Watches: watches that recycle old cars.

The passage of time and accuracy to the second are essential components of an event such as ING Ardenne Roads. The beautiful mechanics too, with its patinated materials, embellished by the kilometres. It is therefore more than consistent to see the event associated with the REC Watches brand of watches. The Danish watchmaker has made it a specialty to create unique collections.

Indeed, they extract some of their components from old car materials intended for scrap. Components from Porsche 911, Mini, old Mustang and even Spitfire aircraft have been worked on and combined with a bracelet.

Patrick Gelder, importer of the Danish brand in Belgium: "Our product is certainly the most closely linked to the automobile of all watchmaking craftsmanship. The material or part of the material of our dials is made of recycled 911 or Mustang elements. We are launching the marketing of this young brand in Belgium and are sure that the teams will see the philosophical relationship between our watchmaking products and the event! »

The winners of the Marathon de la Route will each receive a REC 901, in honour of the Porsche 911.

Encore des nouveaux noms sur la liste des engagés !

Comme annoncé il y a peu, la liste des engagés du Marathon de la Route 2019, programmé du 8 au 11 juin entre Nancy et Beaune, ne cesse de s’allonger.

Et cette fois, le cap des cinquantes voitures est atteint !

Frère de Michel Decremer, Werner Decremer s’est laissé tenter à son tour. Il sera copiloté par Bart Van Camp dans l’habitacle d’une Porsche 911 SC.

Déjà présent l’an dernier, André Lamotte remet le couvert, échangeant sa Lancia Aurelia B20 contre une Fulvia HF, avec bien sûr Joseph Polet dans le baquet de droite.

Quant à Georges et Jean-François Neuville (BMW 2002 Tii), ils avaient goûté au Liège-Rome-Liège l’an dernier dans l’annexe ‘Tribute’, devenue ‘Challenger’ sur le Marathon de la Route 2019. Séduits, ils participeront cette année à l’intégralité de l’épreuve.

Un nouvel équipage français est aussi à relever, avec Jean-Luc Basty et Jacques Moreau, dont la plus récente Renault 5 GT Turbo aura pour avantage de jouer à domicile.

Signalons enfin qu’Eric Van Peer, engagé sur son habituelle BMW 2002, récupère à ses côtés le bien connu Antonio Caldeira, conséquence du forfait du pilote initial du Portugais, Jean-Pierre Verneuil. 

 

Things are progressing within the organisation of the Marathon de la Route, scheduled from 8 to 11 June between Vosges, Jura, Vercors and Ardèche, with an official start in Nancy and an arrival at the Hospices de Beaune.

This week, Joseph Lambert and Eric Chapa, who are in charge of the route, are carrying out a second reconnaissance trip in order to definitively validate the route.

In the meantime, the 16 prefectures involved in the passage of the Marathon de la Route have officially given their approval, which means that all the elements are in place to guarantee a high quality event, a hallmark of Trajectoire.

On the participants' side, the trend is confirmed and satisfaction is clearly there..." We are indeed flirting with the 50 crews registered, which is very good news," explained organiser Jean-François Devillers. In fact, 48 cars are already in order of participation, while several crews are in the process of reflection or even concretization.

A few hours after the announcement of the creation of a "Challenger" category with less restrictions in terms of navigation and sporting difficulty, the first rider came forward. This is Nico Depondt, who will start in his 1965 AC Cobra. Once the first commitment has been made, other "Challenger" competitors will follow..."

At the initiative of the Marathon de la Route, the RACB now authorizes LED light bulbs.

Over the last two years, the Liège-Rome-Liège organised by Trajectoire has had two night stages, long, difficult, trying, worshipped by some... and feared by others! For the next Road Marathon (June 8-11), two short night stages are on the programme, organised in the evening, with an arrival shortly after midnight.

If these night stages are sometimes feared, it is because gentlemen drivers who are fond of these events can encounter visibility problems in the dark. Our old cars do not tolerate the excess of high-power halogen headlights and therefore regularly encounter alternator problems.

It would be a pity, however, to do without night stops completely, during which we encounter the fewest cars, pedestrians or cyclists while driving on roads open to traffic.

In recent years, federations have refused to use technologies other than halogen lamps in order to preserve the historical character of cars. But recently, Trajectoire received a note from the FIA recommending the use of LEDs for better visibility!

After a constructive discussion with the RACB, Jean-François Devillers and his team obtained that, for safety reasons (visibility and electrical equipment of cars), LED bulbs are now allowed in "conventional" optics.

In other words, banning ramps of LED headlights that would disfigure historic cars, but LED light bulbs in original or additional headlights are allowed. Be careful, xenon bulbs are still forbidden!
The investment in these LED light bulbs is interesting, as this regulation should be applied in other historical rallies under the authority of the RACB.

Trajectoire has also undertaken the same procedure with the FBVA, which has yet to rule. But logic would have it follow in his footsteps!

With its unusual character, its 100% hexagonal route, the quality of its organization and the heritage it represents, the Marathon de la Route continues to win entries. This translates into a list of entrants that continues to grow. These days, new crews have indeed confirmed their participation.

Thus the French contingent, which will play at home, is now richer with the very beautiful 1966 Triumph TR3 by Alain d'Espois and Arnaud de Beaucaron, but also with the original 1966 NSU TT 1200 by Jean Greilich and Arnaud Martin. An international nucleus that has given itself a Germanic touch, with the commitment of the 1976 BMW 320 E21 by Thomas Koerner and Udo Schauss. Willkommen!

On the belgian side, things are still improving, with the well-known Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint 1970 by Michel Hermans and Daniel Pigeolet, key figures on the regularity scene, but also the Alfa Romeo Giulia Junior Bertone 1972 by Alain Collée and Didrik Mortier, the highly appreciated and robust Datsun 240 Z 1972 by Eric Claeys and René Declercq, but also the Porsche 911 2.4 S 1973 by Serge Bertay and Guy Delsarte.

Let's bet that with the advent of the "Challenger" category, which is aimed at crews wishing to take part in a "cooler" Road Marathon, this provisional list will evolve further in the coming weeks. We'll keep you informed....

The entry list v7

... for those who want to do the rally in an easier way.

Regularly, potential competitors inform us of their desire to take part in the Marathon de la Route without the stress of regularity with variable averages, or that of sophisticated measuring devices or an experienced co-pilot.

Rather than offering yet another ride without the slightest stake, we propose a simple formula, with a minimum of constraints, easy to implement, but with a clear sporting interest and a specific ranking.

The "Challenger" formula offers a roadbook in arrow-metered format identical to that of the "Marathon" category, a start 10 minutes after the last “Marathon” competitor, a unique average of maximum 50 km/h, and above all a single time check at the end of each regularity test (RT).

The pace will therefore be cooler, especially in the winding sections, since it will clearly be possible for competitors to get ahead in the more rolling sectors. In fact, a stopwatch will be sufficient, as soon as the time to be achieved is given.

With only the constraint of respecting the radar zones specified in the roadbook, for obvious safety reasons and with Tripy control, this "Challenger" formula is clearly aimed at less experienced crews, but also family duets, or tandems wishing to alternate pilot and co-pilot positions.

Even if we want to favour vehicles with a historical or sporting interest, the "Challenger" formula is open to more modern cars. An age coefficient will then be applied.cient d’âge sera alors appliqué.

The Ardèche in the spotlight and the second (and last) evening on the menu.

The third stage from Grenoble to Vals-les-Bains will cross the Isère, the Drôme and the Ardèche, a region congratulated by rally drivers of all time. No less than 15 RTs are on the agenda today, including several on the high places of the modern and historic Monte-Carlo rallies!

The morning will start with an RT in the Vercors offering splendid rocky landscapes combining gorges, passes, combes, crests, gullies where you would love to stop for pleasure (but it will be complicated...). After the 4 RTs in the morning, you will already be in the Drôme valley for lunch at the Restaurant l'Expression near Chabeuil.

After crossing the Rhône, the rally enters the Ardèche, which will become the playground for the next 24 hours.

6 RT in the Eyrieux valley and the Monts d'Ardèche during the afternoon will take you to Vals-les-Bains. Arrival on the village square, a little rest in your room followed by dinner and it will be time to leave for the night of the Ardêche, a loop that will take place south of Vals in Les Boutières and then in the north of the Cévennes. Return around midnight for the first ones.

 .

Good news follows one another on the stage of the Road Marathon!

A few hours after Christophe and Anne Baillet, whose Porsche 911 Carrera made a striking entry into the group of favourites, a Datsun 240 Z is on the way! And not just any one, since Eric Claeys and René Declercq are not at their first try, admitting a predilection for legendary events. 4th in Beijing-Paris in 2016, 1st in the Baltic Classic in 2017 and 4th in the Himalayan Challenge in 2018, the Datsun is a Japanese car that subscribes to long-distance challenges and will most probably swallow the distance between Nancy and Beaune in early summer. It should be noted that the Claeys-Declercq duo is not unknown in the ranks of Trajectoire. In fact, they registered for the Liège-Sofia-Liège 2015, before having to give up the start, as the car was not finished on time.

So it was only a postponement...

Excellent news that has just been made official. Five-time winner of the Tour de Corse Historique, winner of the Trophée des Alpes, Frenchman Christophe Baillet will participate  with his wife Anne in a 1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7. He is necessarily a very strong candidate for victory...

"It is above all the quality of the organizing team of this Marathon de la Route that decided us to commit ourselves," explains Christophe Baillet. I have known Joseph Lambert for years, and with him, we are sure that the choice of routes will be optimal. A regularity rally takes place on roads open to traffic, and it is essential that the safety aspect is widely taken into account. The future of the discipline depends on it, and with such a team, we know that everything is done according to the rules..."

Challenging the Belgians, specialists in regularity, on neutral ground was another major motivation for the Baillet-Baillet crew: "During this event, there will not be too much navigation, which increases our chances of beating the experts from Belgium. I have already tried to face them in Belgium, but they all know the pitfalls of the proposed routes, which makes the confrontation unequal. Here, we will be playing on neutral ground, which means that everyone has a chance. With my wife Anne being my best co-pilot, we are more than motivated to get together in the first place..."

The formula proposed in 2019 seems to meet the demand of regularity enthusiasts: elimination of the first night, 4 stages instead of 7, competitive rates, 4 pre-departure cities including Lyon to facilitate the organisation of crews from Southern Europe.

Certainly the return of good weather is encouraging us to plan the rallies of the season, we have recorded a few additional crews that bring the list to around forty crews to date.

Registrations remain open, of course.

The second day will start in the east of the department with 2 RTs. The crews will have to be awake before passing through the Jura department where 2 other RTs will connect the Swiss border to St Laurent en Grandvaux to join after a last RT the small village of Les Crozets for the lunch break.

With a link to Saint Claude in the early afternoon, the route climbs to a last RT in the Haut-Jura before reaching the Ain and Bugey departments through little-known regions where pilots will be delighted by sections with almost non-existent traffic.
After 2 RTs in the Ain, the route flirts with the departments of Isère and Savoie before reaching the famous Massif de la Chartreuse where the last RT of the day will take place and reaching the hotel in Grenoble, the end of the second day.

A stage that will end at a very decent hour for a well-deserved dinner.

As professionals of organising such events 'trajectoire' has a clear price policy and rather than having extremely low prices with only partial costs like other organizers, so you have to take care of the rest of the organization yourself, our price includes all essential services for a good sporty and safe rally:

a D-1 team checking the course the day before,
a lead vehicle that opens the course (Joseph Lambert),
a doctor,
a calculation office which produces Live results,
the Tripy system for thousands of time measurements,
a sweep vehicle that follows the rally, to assist with any problems
a support vehicle to help  with breakdowns
official assistance, available in the mornings, afternoons and evenings
a race direction at the heart of the event
Special Awards.


We believe that a quality rally should also guarantee you full control and provide all means to make your rally easier and more enjoyable:

A festive departure,
Nice hotels,
Secure parking facilities,
All lunch and evening meals,
The transport of your luggage,
The organisation of aperitifs,
A free mobile application,
4-language communication,
A photographer team,
A cameraman with a drone,
Facebook live,
...

This is why we need the thirty people who will supervise you during these 4 days.…

Scheduled from June 8 to 11 from Nancy, the 2019 Road Marathon already looks like a good vintage.

The end-of-year holiday season has indeed made it possible to register new tegistrations, which brings the list - very provisional, of course - to 36 crews.

Among the favourites in the battle for victory, Yves Noelanders revealed the name of his co-driver in the passenger compartment of the Volvo PV544. This is the young Renaud Herman, who has definitely been in all the right places lately. As for Christian Crucifix, who is leaving with his Ford Anglia, he will be assisted by his Greek friend Spyros Moustakas. 

As for the newcomers, there are two French crews, one Franco-Belgian and one Belgian.
On the hexagonal side, François Feuchot and Jean Rick will line up in Porsche 914/6, Jacky Jacquet and Sophie Bie in Porsche 911 Carrera.
Patrick Lansier, co-drivered by Belgian Alex Paquay, will bring a touch of legend to the A110 Alpine.
As for Frédéric Schilling and Stéphane Dufour, they are lining up another Porsche 914/6, this time from our country.

See the entry list v3

As a reminder, competitors will be able to choose between 4 cities for their pre-departure: Spa and Kortrijk in Belgium, Reims and Lyon in France. The departure is scheduled at daybreak to arrive in Nancy in the middle of the day. The Tripy assembly and calibration will take place on the outskirts of the city before gathering in the city centre, a stone's throw from the famous Place Stanislas.

The start will be given in the middle of the afternoon to the Grand Est and Epinal in the Vosges where the first of 5 RTs will start, which will take special stages of the Rallye d'Alsace, the former WRC event.

Via Remiremont, the Val d'Ajol and the Région des Ballons, competitors will have the opportunity to get into the swing of things before arriving in Haute-Saône at the Plateau des Belles Filles, announced as the first mythical place in the 2019 Tour de France cycling event, where the evening meal will be served.

The first evening stage will begin with a liaison stage in Franche-Comté crossing several of the most beautiful villages in France to reach the department of the Doubs where 4 night RTs, partly in the Lomont Chain, will put both pilot and co-pilot to the test before reaching the town of Besançon shortly after midnight.

La formule proposée en 2019 semble bien répondre à la demande des amateurs de la régularité : suppression de la première nuit, 4 étapes au lieu de 7, tarifs compétitifs, 4 villes de pré-départ dont Lyon pour faciliter l'organisation des équipages de l'Europe su Sud.


Sur la liste de départ, on trouve quelques ténors comme Yves et Benoît Deflandre, Yves Noelanders, Stéphane Blaise et Patrick Lienne, sans oublier Michel Decremer et Yannick Albert, vainqueurs cette année.

Le rallye s'internationalise aussi avec à ce jour trois équipages anglais, un suisse, un allemand et une dizaine de français.

See the entry list

Nur gute Neuigkeiten für den Marathon de la Route!

Während bereits um die 30 Teams ihre Teilnahme am Marathon de la Route bestätigt haben, hat sich nun nach Edith Ragot und Andrée Mahler mit einem Volkswagen Coccinelle ein weiteres 100% weibliches Team eingeschrieben.

Wie auf der Liège-Rome-Liège 2018 werden die Mexikanerin Roamhy Heras und die Belgierin Jennifer Hugo auch diesmal mit von der Partie sein, nur dass sie diesmal ihren Porsche 356 gegen einen AC Cobra eintauschen.
Ein amerikanischer Wagen, den Roahmy bereits während Oldtimer-Rallyes fahren konnte.
Zweifellos wird die Herausforderung  von Woche zu Woche interessanter ... und vielversprechender!

Wie mehrfach angekündigt, organisiert Trajectoire (Jean-François Devillers) 2019 anstelle der Liège-Rome-Liège den Marathon de la Route vom 8. bis 11. Juni 2019 und zwar ausschliesslich auf französischem Boden...

Hiernach eine vorläufige Teilnehmerliste, die den internationalen Charakter des Ereignisses unterstreicht.

Wie erwartet, ist Frankreich bereits sehr gut vertreten :
- Ginies-Ginies (Austin Healey 100/6),
- Dransard-X (Porsche 944 Turbo),
- Ragot-Mahler (100% weibliches Team, Volkswagen Beetle),
- Maigne-Vaquez (Morgan +4),
- Ollier-Bezier (Triumph TR3A), 
- Chatelus-Chatelus (Peugeot 504).

Doch auch die englischen Teams stehen nicht nach:
- Mark und Susan Godfrey (MG B),
- Barker-Cave (Triumph TR4)
- Mallagh-Mallagh (Porsche 911 2.7 RS).

 Lachenal-Belotti (Ford Escort RS) aus der nahe gelegenen Schweiz.
Aus Deutschland Jörg Olzen und Thomas Wagner mit einem MG B Tourer.
Der Kanadier Thierry Parisot und der Franzose  Eddy Doby haben sich mit einem Porsche 911 SC RS eingeschrieben.

Jetzt schon sehr vielversprechend!

Die vorläufigen Regelungen finden Sie in unserer Dokumentenbibliothek.
 auf der Registerkarte 'Teilnehmer'. (English version).

« trajectoire »  hat schon immer die Teilnahme von Frauenteams an den verschiedenen Veranstaltungen begrüsst und hervorgehoben. Bereits im Jahr 2002, mit Martine HERMANS und Pascale Van LIERDE , die gemeinsam an der ersten Ausgabe der ING Ardenne Roads teilnahmen.

Mehrere Frauenteams haben auch auf der Liège-Sofia-Liège und Liège-Rome-Liège – zwei Rallye, die grosse körperliche und geistige Ausdauer verlangen, die Herausforderung in hervorragender Weise angenommen. 2018 wurden die Leistungen von Roamhy HERAS und Jennifer HUGO trotz eines widerspenstigen und kapriziösen Porsche 356 von allen bewundert.

Heute erweist uns ein neues Team mit einem sehr schönen VW-Käfer aus dem Jahr 1970 die Ehre: Edith RAGOT und Andrée MAHLER. Sie haben unter anderem an der Rallye des Princesses, der Rallye des Alpes und anderen regionalen Regelmäßigkeitsrallyes teilgenommen und sind auch hier sicherlich nicht nur für eine Spazierfahrt!

This show has become a must in just a few editions and 'trajectoire' will meet you again in Hall 6, right next to the 70th anniversary Porsche exhibition.

We will be happy to receive you to inform you about ING Ardenne Roads as well as the Road Marathon. We will also present two new lifestyle weekends scheduled for May and October.

The 10 beneficiaries will be drawn at random from among the crews registered for one of our two rallies before Sunday evening, November 11 at midnight.

The 10 winners will be contacted by email and will then receive their entry by post.

Die Liège-Rome-Liège und der Marathon de la Route werden von den britischen Piloten ganz besonders in guter Erinnerung behalten.

Die ersten, die sich dieses Jahr mit einem Triumph TR4 eingeschrieben haben, sind Peter BARKER und Willy CAVE.

Der erste hat an vielen Rallyes teilgenommen und zweimal - und zwar in 2003 und 2010 - die Rallye des Alpes gewonnen.

Sein Beifahrer, der wohl dieses Jahr der älteste Teilnehmer sein könnte, hat ebenfalls als Pilot an zahlreichen Rallyes teilgenommen und sich 1956 bei der Rallye des Alpes auf den 13. Platz und 1959 bei der RACC Rallye auf den 17. Platz gehiesst!

Respekt !

Comme annoncé à plusieurs reprises, le Marathon de la Route 2019, qui succédera au Liège-Rome-Liège dans les organisations de Trajectoire (Jean-François Devillers), se disputera intégralement sur le sol français du 8 au 11 juin.

Histoire bien sûr que ce ne soit pas chaque fois les mêmes qui s'offrent de longs déplacements. Et la liste (très) provisoire des engagés fait déjà la part belle au caractère international de l'épreuve.

Comme attendu, les équipages hexagonaux s'annoncent progressivement :

- Ginies-Ginies (Austin Healey 100/6),
- Dransard-X (Porsche 944 Turbo),
- Ragot-Mahler (équipage 100% féminin, Volkswagen Coccinelle),
- Maigne-Vaquez (Morgan +4),
- Ollier-Bezier (Triumph TR3A),
- Chatelus-Chatelus (Peugeot 504) étant déjà en ordre d'inscription.

Face aux Français, les anglais auront leur mot à dire, avec :
- Mark et Susan Godfrey (MG B),
- Barker-Cave (Triumph TR4)
- Mallagh-Mallagh (Porsche 911 2,7 RS).

De la Suisse toute proche arriveront Lachenal-Belotti (Ford Escort RS).
Cerise sur la gâteau, un pilote... canadien, Thierry Parisot, est déjà officialisé.
Il fera équipe avec le Français Eddy Doby sur Porsche 911 SC RS.

Prometteur... et largement provisoire

François GINIES (Frankreich) ist der erste, der sich für den Marathon de la Route eingeschrieben hat.

Im Jahr 2017 nahm er zusammen mit Sohn Julien auf dem gleichen Austin Healey 100/6 an der Liège-Rome-Liège teil. Sie hatten es geschafft, ihren schönen Wagen auf den 17. Platz zu bringen.

In diesem Jahr nimmt François mit Antoine GINIES, seinem zweiten Sohn, ebenfalls mit dem  Austin Healey teil.

C'est désormais officiel, il est possible de s'inscrire pour le Marathon de la Route!

Le premier tarif préférentiel octroie la participation à 2.345 € pour toute inscription jusqu'au 15 novembre inclus.

Il est encore possible de cumuler d'autres réductions :

Avantage par team : - 100 euros / auto
Inscription groupée de 3 équipages.                      
(la réduction est offerte à chaque équipage)

Parrainage individuel : - 50 euros / parrainage
Tout participant qui parrainera un nouvel équipage n'ayant pas pris part aux éditions 2017 et 2018 se verra offrir une réduction supplémentaire.

Il y a quelques semaines, Trajectoire annonçait la mise sur pied d’un Marathon de la Route d’un genre différent en 2019. D’une durée de quatre jours, du samedi 8 au mardi 11 juin, essentiellement organisé sur le territoire français, l’événement entend s’ouvrir à un public plus large, et séduire davantage de concurrents hexagonaux. La France est un superbe pays… mais aussi un grand pays ! Restait donc à trouver des solutions pour ne pénaliser personne…

« Si le départ effectif de ce Marathon de la Route 2019 sera donné depuis la ville de Nancy, un principe de villes de départ va permettre à des concurrents venus de différents horizons géographiques de converger vers la région du Grand Est, explique Jean-François Devillers, organisateur. Dès le samedi matin, des équipages se mettront ainsi en route depuis Spa en Belgique francophone, Courtrai dans les Flandres, Reims et Lyon. Le grand regroupement aura lieu sur le temps de midi dans la périphérie de Nancy. » Et de là, un prologue permettra de déterminer l’ordre de départ du rallye. « Ensuite, cap sur Nancy intramuros, pour une exposition en bonne et due forme des voitures, puis le départ de la première étape en début d’après-midi », poursuit Jean-François Devillers.

Autre nouveauté majeure du Marathon de la Route, si l’on compare aux deux dernières éditions du Liège-Rome-Liège, la première étape abandonne la nuit entière, mais se terminera seulement aux alentours d'une heure du matin. Outre le plaisir de rouler de nuit, cela permet aussi d'éviter le trafic. De quoi rassurer ceux et celles qui ne souhaitent pas passer une nuit complète au volant ou à leurs instruments..  

En ayant terminé avec la vérification des villes étapes et des hôtels retenus par l’organisation, Jean-François Devillers est désormais en mesure de lever le voile sur les points de chute – forcément prestigieux – de ce Marathon de la Route 2019. « En quittant Nancy, nous mettrons le cap sur Besançon, près de la frontière suisse, reprend l’organisateur. Ensuite, cap sur Grenoble au pied des montagnes, Vals-les-Bains au cœur de l’Ardèche, pour une arrivée devant les Hospices de Beaune, célèbre ville de Bourgogne. Un programme qui devrait plaire à de nombreux équipages au vu des régions traversées… »

Responsable du parcours, Joseph Lambert en a déjà défini le tracé et est en ce moment même sur le parcours pour dessiner le roadbook. Dès son retour dans les prochains jours, d’autres infos seront officialisées, histoire de déjà pointer les temps forts de ce Marathon de la Route 2019 plus que prometteur…

Von dreitägiger Besichtigung der Etappenstädte und Hotels zurück.

Ankunft der Rallye am 11. Juni vor den Hospizien in Beaune.

Seinerseits hat Joseph Lambert die Route festgelegt und ist nun unterwegs, um das Roadbook zu zeichnen.
Mehr Informationen bei seiner Rückkehr.

Unser offizielles Medienteam bestand aus Julien Mahiels und Kevin Gourdin für Fotographie, Tanguy Allard für Video- und Drohnaufnahmen.

Das Team kam mit einem umfangreichen Bildmaterial zurück, das sortiert, ausgewählt, korrigiert und bearbeitet werden musste.

Etwa 50 Bilder werden auf der Medienseite dieser Website vorgeschlagen. Aber die gesamte Reportage, etwa 420 Bilder, ist auf unserer Flickr "trajectoire"- Seite verfügbar.

Die Videos sind auch auf unserer Medienseite und unserem Youtube-Kanal zu sehen.

Flickr : Albums trajectoire 
Youtube : Chaine trajectoire

Bei der ersten Sitzung des Road Marathons heute Morgen wurden einige wichtige Entscheidungen getroffen.
Die erste davon ist die Formalisierung der Termine: Samstag, 8. bis Dienstag, 11. Juni.

Alors que l’édition 2018 du Liège-Rome-Liège prendra son envol depuis le Parc de Sept Heures à Spa samedi soir, Trajectoire, société organisatrice de l’événement, a déjà planché sur l’avenir. Et c’est la carte de la variété qui sera jouée en 2019, avec la première édition d’un Marathon de la Route inédit, exclusivement tracé sur le sol français, et d’une durée limitée à quatre jours…

Historiquement, la notion de ‘Marathon de la Route’ renvoie à une épreuve de… 84 à 96 heures disputée sur la Boucle Nord, la célèbre Nordchleife, du Nürburgring. Après avoir rendu leurs lettres de noblesse à des épreuves aussi légendaires que Liège-Sofia-Liège et Liège-Rome-Liège, Jean-François Devillers, à la tête de l’équipe de Trajectoire, a tenu à varier les plaisirs… en étant à l’écoute de ses participants. « Souvent, on nous dit qu’une épreuve d’une semaine comme le Liège-Rome-Liège que nous nous apprêtons à vivre, est trop longue, explique le maître-d’œuvre de ce nouveau Marathon de la Route. Professionnellement, mais aussi budgétairement, il n’est pas toujours facile de consacrer plus d’une semaine à ce qui reste finalement un hobby. En outre, nous évitons qu’une certaine routine s’installe. En écoutant nos concurrents, effectifs ou potentiels, on a tiré la conclusion qu’une épreuve d’une durée de quatre jours, comme l’était le Marathon de la Route à la fin des années ’60 et au début des années ‘70, était davantage abordable. Sous réserve de confirmation, l’épreuve devrait se dérouler entre le dimanche 2 juin et le mercredi 5 juin 2019 ! »

Un Marathon de la Route inédit qui se disputera intégralement sur le territoire français. « Dans l’état actuel de la réflexion menée avec Joseph Lambert et Eric Chapa, on imagine un départ aux environs de Nancy et Troyes, un parcours profitant de ce formidable terrain de jeu qu’est l’Ardèche, et un retour à une distance raisonnable du lieu de départ, pour des raisons logistique des teams et du staff, poursuit Jean-François Devillers. Ce qui ne manquera pas d’impacter favorablement le montant d’engagement, vu la distance plus courte, et dès lors rendre l’épreuve accessible à un plus large public. Et notamment à des équipages français peu enclins à accumuler les centaines de kilomètres les séparant de villes de départ et d’arrivée en Belgique. Ce qui ne veut nullement dire que le Liège-Rome-Liège ou le Liège-Sofia-Liège ne seront plus organisés par nos soins à l’avenir, car l’idée est de partir sur une règle d’alternance entre ces épreuves différentes les unes des autres… »

C’est donc un Marathon de la Route d’un genre nouveau qui verra le jour l’année prochaine. Preuve que dans les rangs de Trajectoire, on n’est jamais à court d’idées afin de combler les passionnés de très belles épreuves pour anciennes…

At the end of a 4200 kilometres Marathon, a verdict was reached …  

This time, it’s all over! At the end of a panting and difficult, with the final – complicated RTs- drawn up in the eastern cantons, and an ultimate halt at the Hôtel Verviers, the surviving competitors of the Liège-Rome-Liège 2018 burst into view in the ardent City, the first car crossing the arrival arch of the Espace Tivoli on the dot of 18.31hrs, without the slightest minute of delay on the scheduled planning! One good hour later, the entire caravan had arrived … with the exception of the Porsche 911 1965 manned by Tony Kevers and Baudouin Halleux, which had obstinately refused to start following the pause in the Verviers region. A technical setback which left the duo irritated, but which finally had no consequences for its final position, neither for its 2nd place in its category …

Regarding the race for victory, the suspense prevailed, particularly as the leaders on the moment of leaving Belfort, Michel Decremer and Yannick Albert (Opel Ascona), committed two mistakes which cost them heavy points. Other teams, such as Yves and Benoît Deflandre (Porsche 911), were confronted with local residents and other tourists of ill-will, penalising them heavily.

At the end of the day the Decremer-Albert duo held on to the lead, taking great pleasure in imposing their noisy Opel Ascona at the end of an event which had appeared to have been promised to go to the Porsche 911 brigade. Following the Rallye de Monte-Carlo Historique, this duo adds another legendary event to their record of achievements, after an absolutely royal battle throughout the entire week, and which had started out with … a co-driver ill during the first night!

The final podium of this Liège-Rome-Liège 2018 more than ever in keeping with tradition is completed by the two Porsche 911 of on the one hand Jacques Evrard and Christian Bernard, and Serge Adriaens and Freddy Moors on the other, split by … 4,6 points at the end of more than sixty RT! Quite fabulous …

The prize for frustration certainly goes to Yves and Benoît Deflandre, kicked off the final podium following a difficult end of race, and finally 4th in the overall rankings. As for the sprint for honourable mentions; it was awarded to Jean-Claude Kauffman and Jean-Marc Piret (Toyota Celica), who complete the top 5 just ahead of Robert Denis and handyman Alexandre Peeters (Porsche 911), Kurt Declerck and Steven Vyncke (Porsche 911), Jean-François Delincé and Julien Minguet (the ‘miraculous survivors’ of the Alps, Ford Escort MK1), as also Gaëtan Schoonbroodt and François Gehlen (Ford Escort MK1). For their introduction to the Porsche 911, Etienne Baugnée and Benoît Remion completed the top 10 overall, delighted to have reached the finish.

It goes without saying that this is the case for the 17 teams officially ranked, of which the Porsche 356 of the Mexican Roahmy Heras and the Belgian Jennifer Hugo, who overcame the pitfalls to pay honour to ‘Girl Power’ on the Place Saint-Lambert!

Victory in the various Groups fall into the hands of Decremer-Albert (Gr.4), Kauffman-Piret (Gr.6), Schoonbroodt-Gehlen (Gr.3) and Duquenne-Kauffman (Austin Healey 100/6, Gr.2).

The final stage of the Liège-Rome-Liège 2018 also saw the return of competitors in the trace ‘Tribute to Liège-Rome-Liège’, who were ‘only’ competing in the Belgian RT, with victory announced and confirmed for Daniel Reuter and Robert Vandevorst (Porsche 914/6). A mere seventy points separated the two other teams present on the final podium, namely Georges and Jean-François Neuville (BMW 2002) on the one hand, Olivier Goblet and Vincent Snyers (Fiat 128 Sport) on the other. Worth noting the debut in the righthand bucket seat of journalist Eric Faure, who accompanied Claudy Deschamps in the cockpit of a BMW 2002, and who had emphasised, with his traditional cockiness which we adore, how complex the game of regularity and navigation is. An Eric Faure who devotes himself to the joys of ‘gardening’, which represents a noble leisure time for a young retired person … Our little finger tells us that we will see him back in action very soon …

At the end of this 2018 edition, between a couple glasses of bubbly, Jean-François Devillers, master craftsman of the ‘Trajectoire’ team, was happy to ‘have done it’ and was impressed by the hard work put in by Joseph Lambert, responsible for the course, and Eric Chapa, responsible on the sporting front, as also all members of the team, including the assistance staff of MY Vintage. Now heading off for a different Marathon de la Route in 2019, shorter, more accessible, most probably held on French soil … even though the Liège festive final this Saturday evening remains food for thought. Watch this space, and in the meanwhile, congratulations to all the survivors of this Liège-Rome-Liège that has already entered into legend annals …

Suivez le Live sur notre application au fur et à mesure des RT :

Android : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details
IOS : https://goo.gl/BnGyhz ...

Retrouvez les classements officiels chaque soir dans l'application et sur ce site dans la partie Document sous l'onglet 'participants"

C’est ce samedi 9 juin que l’édition 2018 du Liège-Rome-Liège prendra son envol. Comme le veut la tradition, le grand départ sera donné depuis le Parc de Sept Heures au cœur de Spa, où voitures et équipages arriveront à partir de 13 heures pour les différentes opérations de contrôle technique et administratif. Après quoi, chaque équipage disposera dans l’après-midi de deux fenêtres horaires pour réaliser l’étalonnage des appareils, mais aussi prendre part à un Prologue qui permettra non seulement aux pilotes et copilotes de faire connaissance avec les subtilités de ce type d’épreuve, mais aussi de déterminer l’ordre de départ. Un Prologue - non pénalisant - qui aura pour cadre la célèbre côte du Maquisard, entre le hameau de Marteau, aux portes de Spa, et le Monument au Maquisard Inconnu sur le territoire de La Reid.

C’est sur le coup de 21 heures que la présentation officielle des concurrents aura lieu, tandis que le premier départ sera donné à 21h30, les voitures s’élançant de minute en minute. A 22h15, les concurrents du Tribute to Liège-Rome-Liège s’élanceront à leur tour.

Signalons que dans le village de Longchamps, près de Bastogne, une halte est programmée sur le coup d’une heure du matin. L’occasion de souffler un coup avant une longue liaison. Et pour les concurrents du Tribute To Liège-Rome-Liège de conclure leur première étape.

Parmi les nouveautés majeures du Liège-Rome-Liège en 2017, Trajectoire avait utilisé les services d'un nouveau du réseau de télécommunication pour optimaliser sa gestion de la course. Elément majeur lorsque l'on sait que les équipes d'organisations sont parfois éloignées de plusieurs centaines de kilomètres ! Vu le succès et la qualité du service offert par www.locationtalkie.be, Trajectoire a décidé de poursuivre sa collaboration avec la société wallonne et dispose donc cette année encore d’un réseau radio opérationnel sur l’ensemble du parcours. Les terminaux utilisés par la Direction de Course permettent de garder le contact avec l’équipe d’assistance, la voiture-balai ou le bureau de calcul, afin que les informations cruciales soient bien communiquées à tous et en temps réel. Les radios portatives de l’organisation utilisent le réseau GSM data et permettent aux groupes d’utilisateurs de converser dans toute l’Union européenne, sans risquer la moindre perte de signal. De plus, chaque radio est géolocalisée par GPS et sa position est retranscrite sur ordinateur. L'expérience de l'édition précdente du Marathon de la Route mais aussi de l'ING Ardenn Roads en avril dernier, confirme l'utilité absolue de cette technologie pour la plus grande sécurité de tous. www.locationtalkie.be

The final countdown has started! With the kick-off of the Liège-Rome-Liège 2018 scheduled to take place from the Parc de Sept Heures at Spa on Saturday 9th June, the buzz within the organisation is at its height. The Trajectoire team around Jean-François Devillers took advantage of officialising the list of entrants, with some thirty odd teams ready to tackle the course concocted by the experienced Joseph Lambert, assisted on the event’s sporting front by the masterful Eric Chapa.

More than ever the battle for overall victory promises to be explosive, with renowned names, both on the drivers and co-drivers front. As a non-exhaustive list, at the end of this edition victory could well transpire to be between Christian Crucifix-Yves Noelanders (Ford Anglia 1960), Yves Deflandre-Benoît Deflandre (Porsche 911 1972), Serge Adriaens-Freddy Moors (Porsche 911 2.4 S 1972), Etienne Baugnée-Benoît Remion (Porsche 911 SC 1979), Stéphane Blaise-Patrick Lienne (Porsche 911 1981), Jacques Castelein-Mathieu Castelein (Shelby Cobra 289 1964), Jan De Vos and Chris Goris (Porsche 911 1974), Michel Decremer-Yannick Albert (Opel Ascona 400 1979), Kurt Declerck-Steven Vyncke (Porsche 911 S Targa 1972), Jean-François Delincé-Julien Minguet (Ford Escort MK1 1972), Jacques Evrard-Christian Bernard (Porsche 911 1972), Tony Kevers-Benoît Halleux (Porsche 911 1965), Gaëtan Schoonbroodt-François Gehlen (Ford Escort MK1 1971), Jean-Pierre Verneuil-Antonio Caldeira (Renault 5 Alpine 1981), etc. But then surprises, numerous, could always be possible.

Worth noting the presence of a 100% female team, with the firm intention of not lagging behind. Especially seeing the Mexican Roamhy Heras and the Belgian Jennifer Hugo are entered in an … AC Cobra 1965! The girls in the race will definitely not go unnoticed…

The impressive quality of the list of entrants proves that the Liège-Rome-Liège has definitely found its place as one of the not to be missed events on the international regularity scene for classic machines. And that the notion of ‘Marathon de la Route’ remains a ‘must’ that certain have no intention of missing out on. Place your bets, all goes well on the Liège-Rome-Liège scene!

Here is the offichial list of entrants by numerical order.

See the list.

Since the beginning of time, motorsport has been a world for men … and often titillated the female gender! A story that is about to repeat itself during the Liège-Rome-Liège 2018, with the presence of a 100% female crew in the cockpit of a shining Porsche 356 SC Cabriolet dating from 1964. And do not count on the Mexican Roamhy Heras and the Belgian Jennifer Hugo from dawdling on this exceptional course …

For many years cars have been a passion for Roamhy Heras, but also a profession. “With another Belgian just as passionate as myself, we created an auction house specialised in classic and competition cars, JP Auctions Mexico, she explained. And our first communication vector is to participate in international sporting events. This allows us to combine business with pleasure. There is obviously the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, in which I will be competing again in 2019, together with the Belgian Ingrid Peeters, Miss Blunik, at my side! Together we have already clinched victory in the Coupe des Dames, added to which a 5th place overall in the Cento Ore de Modena in 2017, with an AC Cobra 289. We also proved ourselves during the Tour de Belgique, the Historic Tour of Corsica, the Costa Brava Moritz, etc. Next challenge: the legendary Liège-Rome-Liège, with a Porsche 356 SC Cabriolet from 1964, belonging to a gentleman-driver and major Monegasque collector. A car created by the renowned Dr Ferdinand Porsche, whose handling and lightness allowed him to beat far more powerful machines. And notably to have won the Liège-Rome-Liège no less than four times!”

As one might imagine, participating in such a Marathon de la Route demands a fair amount of preparation. “It is necessary to be able to count on a top technical preparation and more especially a co-driver who is at home with a roadbook and an expert at navigating, Roamhy continued. With Jennifer, who is among those expert Belgian co-drivers in this type of event, we not only have the firm intention of swallowing up the 4,200 kilometres on the programme, but also to claim the Moss-Wisdom prize, awarded in honour of Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom, the first – and up until now the only – women to have achieved overall victory. That was back in 1960 at the wheel of an Austin Healey.”

As for the fact that they are the sole female team at the start of the Liège-Rome-Liège 2018, in no way worries the duo … “First and foremost, we consider ourselves to be ‘competitors’, because during this rally, all that counts, is the talent, whether one is a man or woman, Roamhy and Jennifer commented. Once we have our helmet on we are all the same! The only thing that counts is to fight, to give it our all to be better than the others, aim for the podium, excel, take calculated risks, sweat in our racing overalls and deserve the applause. We also have dreams, and the dreams are neither masculine nor feminine … »

That is clear cut! As such rendezvous on Saturday 9th June at the Parc de Sept Heures in Spa to get to know this duo better and who have every intention of being widely talked about on more than one occasion throughout the seven days …

Règlement relatif au Tribute to Liege-Rome-Liege est disponible dans notre bibliothèque de documents.

Finally, 30 teams will run the Marathon de la Route this year. Looking at the list, it's gonna be hard to win this year.
Cars and teams are better prepared. They come for a competitive rally.
They won't be dissapointed !

see the list.

The entry list for the Liège-Rome-Liège 2018 event, to be held between 9th and 16th June with the start given in Spa continues to evolve. Winners of the 2017 edition with their small, old but highly efficient Ford Anglia, Christian Crucifix and Yves Noelanders have officially confirmed their return to the Marathon de la Route, obviously at the wheel of the same car.. "Taking into account the number of Porsche machines at the start, we preferred once again to play the originality card Crucifix explained. The Anglia will have the same advantages as also the same drawbacks as last year, but which in no way prevented us from clinching victory…."

Once again the battle for all out victory could well be pretty hot this year, as seeing on the one hand Jacques Evrard and Christian Bernard (Porsche 911), Serge Adriaens and Freddy Moors (Porsche 911) on the other, respectively 2nd and 3rd last year, will also be back for more action,  not forgetting Yves and Benoît Deflandre (Porsche 911), Michel Decremer and Yannick Albert (Opel Ascona 400) to name but a few...

Pour diverses raisons, nombreux sont les pilotes et copilotes qui n'auront pas la possibilité de s'aligner au départ du Marathon de la Route qu'est le Liège-Rome-Liège à la sauce Trajectoire, tel qu'il sera disputé entre le 9 et le 16 juin 2018. Rarement à court d'inspiration, Jean-François Devillers et les siens ont décidé de créer le 'Tribute to Liège-Rome-Liège', qui aura lieu les samedi 9 et samedi 16 juin ! En quoi cela consiste-t-il ?

En la partie exclusivement belge du célèbre périple, à laquelle vont pouvoir prendre part des équipages concourant pour la victoire dans les seuls RT disputés chez nous, que ce soit à l'aller ou au retour de la caravane. De manière concrète, les concurrents du 'Tribute' partiront du Parc de Sept Heures à Spa le samedi 9 juin, avant de disputer les tests de régularité prévus jusqu'à la frontière belgo-luxembourgeoise. De quoi aboutir à une première hiérarchie remise en jeu le samedi 16 juin, lors du retour des participants du Liège-Rome-Liège, avec cette fois les derniers RT belges programmés depuis la frontière avec l'Allemagne, pour une arrivée sur la Place Saint-Lambert sur le coup de 18h00.

Au bout du compte, on obtiendra un classement général 'Tribute to Liège-Rome-Liège' et surtout une compétition 'partielle' qui pourrait en intéresser plus d'un. D'autant que le montant d'engagement est de 375 euros seulement, tout compris, même la remise des prix !

TELECHARGER LE FORMULAIRE

The Trajectoire team, organisers of the Liège-Rome-Liège 2018, continues to double its efforts in order to offer the most prestigious of editions to be held from 9th through to 16th June. Even better, it anticipates what might well represent its future in the short term… “As with other Belgian events, the 2018 vintage of the Liège-Rome-Liège will be placed under the watchful eye of the FIA, with a view to an eventual integration in the FIA Trophy of Regularity Rallies for historic vehicles in the future, Jean-François Devillers announced. We are flattered …but this also compels the organisation to take into account some new parameters.”

Starting off with the acceptance at the start of cars relating to the Period J2, in other words those vehicles built between 1986 and 1990. “The FIA authorises this type of car, which has incited us to integrate these in this edition, Eric Chapa, the Race Director explains. Nonetheless for us it’s essential that the arrival of more modern, and therefore more comfortable and powerful cars, do not penalise the competitors with their older machines. As such an age and engine coefficient will be applied to these models, whereas the table of coefficients has been softened for the cars emanating from the period between 1980 and 1985.”

It should be noted that normally the FIA Trophy of Regularity Rallies does not apply specific coefficients for cars of the Period J2. “It’s out of the question for us to weaken the competitors taking part with true classic machines, such as last year’s Ford Anglia winner, Eric Chapa continued. We will therefore be applying this coefficient with as first and foremost objective to demonstrate the soundness of same to the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile at the end of this 2018 edition. Should this manner of proceeding not be acceptable to those responsible for the FIA Trophy of Regularity Rallies, the Liège-Rome-Liège will continue on its present take-off, as an independent event. But seeing we have received requests from competitors wishing to enter cars built between 1986 and 1990, it’s the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone and more especially to be pro-active …”

Even though the start of the Liège-Rome-Liège 2018 will be given on Saturday 9th June from the Parc de Sept Heures at Spa, a fair number of teams opted to take full advantage of the preferential entry fee to confirm their presence. In this light an initial group has been pinpointed as favourites … resolutely awaiting the competition! Among the unmissable of this 2018 edition of the Marathon de la Route, we can confirm Yves and Benoît Deflandre (Porsche 911), the winner of the Historic Monte-Carlo Rally Michel Decremer teamed up with the expedient Yannick Albert (Opel Ascona 400), the experienced Flanders based Kurt Declercq and Steven Vyncke (Porsche 911 S), not forgetting such imposing duos as Jacques Evrard and Christian Bernard (Porsche 911), Serge Adriaens and Freddy Moors (Porsche 911), Tony Kevers and Baudouin Halleux (Porsche 911), Etienne Baugnée and Benoît Remion (Porsche 911), Jean-François Delincé and the ‘Classic’ prize-winner in the Legend Boucles Julien Minguet (Ford Escort MK1), the Frenchman Jean-Pierre Verneuil and the Portuguese Antonio Caldeira (Renault 5 Alpine), Jan De Vos and Chris Goris (Porsche 911), Victor Guilmain and Paul-Henry Jans (Porsche 924 S), and so forth…

On the car front the eclecticism is definitely ensured, with the spectacular Cobra manned by Jacques and Mathieu Castelain (Shelby version) and Nico Depondt-X, but also the oldest Porsche 356 B Coupé 1960 of Luc De Vos and Bruno Mariens, presently the doyenne of the grid, the Morgan +4 of Philippe Maigne and Sylvain Vaquez, the Volvo 123 GT of Bernard Mazuyer and Jean Rick, not forgetting the Austin Healey 100/6 of Denis Duquenne and Stéphanie Kauffman. By no means an exhaustive list of entrants, which over the coming weeks will continue to grow.

“I believe we can state that this is a great basic grid, the organiser Jean-François Devillers commented. Last year various new competitors had kept a keen eye on the Liège-Rome-Liège, and they decided to be part and parcel of it next June. Some ten additional teams should be putting in an appearance on the provisional list of entrants, of which the 2017 laureate Christian Crucifix, presently awaiting a response from his co-driver, while the scheduled communication campaign will continue with a view to seducing other regularity adepts for classic machines. Taking a swift look on the www.liege-rome-liege.org site, the video images of the 2017 edition need no words. The rebirth of the ‘Marathon de la Route’ breathed on by Trajectoire, with a course drawn up by Joseph Lambert and the sporting side managed by Eric Chapa, boasts a fair power of enticement. Outcome: with some three months from the start the initial favourites are known. So, who is next? “

Il est bien connu qu’ensemble, on est plus fort ! Organisatrice d’épreuves majeures à l’image de l’ING Ardenne Roads ou du Liège-Rome-Liège, la société Trajectoire de Jean-François Devillers a décidé de poursuivre la course à l’excellence dans ses événements, en accordant un soin encore plus important à l’assistance technique. Une donnée qu’il est difficile d’ignorer lorsqu’il est question de voitures anciennes.

"Jusqu’à présent, nous confiions cette assistance mécanique à des équipes issues de divers horizons qui n’avaient pas nécessairement l’habitude de travailler ensemble, explique Jean-François Devillers. Parmi les bonnes résolutions en vue du millésime 2018 de l’ING Ardenne Roads et du Liège-Rome-Liège, il y avait une professionnalisation accrue de cette assistance. J’ai eu l’occasion d’aborder la chose avec Sandrine Wanson et Clovis Matton, les forces vives de MY Vintage, et nous sommes rapidement tombés d’accord sur les termes d’une collaboration qui constitue un plus pour chacune des entités."

De manière concrète, les concurrents de l’ING Ardenne Roads pourront profiter, s’ils le souhaitent, d’un Package Confort qui se traduira par une prise en main de leurs véhicules par l’équipe de MY Vintage… même lorsqu’aucune panne n’est à déplorer ! "C’est la différence par rapport au passé, poursuit Jean-François Devillers. Désormais, il sera possible de mettre sa voiture entre les mains de spécialistes au terme de chaque étape, de manière à ce que tout soit vérifié et garanti en parfait état en vue de la suite de l’épreuve. On dépasse donc allègrement le cas du camion balai qui prend en charge les concurrents restés en rade."

Pour la structure hutoise, cette collaboration avec Trajectoire est avant tout une opportunité de poursuivre le développement de sa cellule ‘historique’. "Comme chacun le sait, MY Vintage est la suite logique de MY Racing, explique Sandrine Wanson. Nous voulons appliquer notre savoir-faire acquis dans les compétitions modernes de plus haut niveau, et notamment le soin accordé à chaque détail. Pouvoir collaborer avec Trajectoire est assurément un plus pour notre société qui nous permettra de renforcer notre image dans le milieu des voitures anciennes, ceci au travers d’une présence plus qu’active sur ces grands événements…".
"
Au bout du compte, les gagnants de cette collaboration entre Trajectoire et MY Vintage seront… les concurrents, qui profiteront allègrement de cette professionnalisation de l’assistance technique sur l’ING Ardenne Roads et le Liège-Rome-Liège.

The 2018 Liège-Rome-Liège edition, scheduled to be held from 9th through to 16th June, promises to be under the most favourable auspices, and more than one frequenter of Regularity events present as a spectator at the start (Spa) or the finish (Liège) of the 2017 edition was able to convince himself of the quality of the organisation and the course. Now that the entry forms are starting to reach us, a quick reminder: time is running out for all those wishing to take advantage of the preferential rate, as the entry forms must be returned before 28th February!

“The deadline date for the preferential rate has been extended by two weeks allowing the numerous teams that had recently competed in one of the three major events at the beginning of the year to check their equipment, make the decision regarding the Liège-Rome-Liège 2018 and also allow them to take advantage of this tempting registration rate”, Jean-François Devillers explained.

Up until this date the entry fee amounts to 3,690 euros, as compared to 3,990 euros after that date. Worth recalling that this amount includes the overall organisation, the sporting framework, the insurances, all lunchtime meals, the transport of the items of luggage, as also the official dinner in Liège on Saturday 16th June. A word to the wise …

An undeniable sporting success seeing all competitors of the 2017 Liège-Rome-Liège retained fond memories of the edition…. while whetting the appetite of those who were not there! This is all the Trajectoire team, needed to promptly go into action to prepare the 2018 edition, scheduled from 9th through to 16th June, based on a similar cut-out as enjoyed last summer.

Always under the responsibility of Joseph Lambert, the Liège-Rome-Liège 2018 course is done and dusted … “No way are we going to divulge everything, but we can already announce that the start from the Parc de Sept Heures in Spa is retained, and that it will be followed by a first race night – less selective than this year’s to avoid the ranking being solidly rooted by the morning – then a full day which will bring the competitors to the foot of the Stelvio. This renowned mountain pass will be tackled early on Monday morning in order to limit as far as possible having to share the route with bicycle tourists and caravans, Joseph Lambert continued.

The route will then take the competitors via the Lake of Como, the surrounding area of Sestrières, the Turini pass, San Remo, Val d’Isère and Belfort, prior to returning to Liège and the arrival on the Place Saint-Lambert, similar to last June.” The first elements are known. They confirm that the Liège-Rome-Liège 2018 will be even more in line with the spirit of the various Marathons de la Route of years gone by.

Seit Juli arbeiten wir mit einer neuen Agentur an einer technisch besseren Version unserer Website, die auch über Smartphone und Tablets zugänglich ist.

Die neue Version erlaubt eine schnellere  Aktualisierung : ein Pluspunkt für Teilnehmer und Zuschauer.

Einschreibung JETZT über unsere Website möglich !

Lucio di Mori, well known race Director on « Mille Miglia » and « Targa Florio » and high level consultant of ACSI (Italian Automotive federation) was beside Trajectoire’s management team for the first Liège-Rome-Liège preparation meeting.

For sure a top level consultant for the development of the top level european regularity race event since 2017.

For a very long time, 'trajectoire' works with 'JB Time Concept' for his time keeping.

For this edition, we decided to broadcast live results and this map shows us that the rally was mainly followed across all Europe as well as in North América ! But also in Moscow, China, Argentina, Sidney,... 

Amazing !

They are back! A week after the start from the Parc de Sept Heures in Spa, the survivors of the Liège-Rome-Liège 2017 are back in Belgium, arriving in Liège at the Place Saint-Lambert on the dot of 18.30hrs this Saturday. In front of a large crowd of enthusiasts, each team that had covered the 4,200 kilometres race though Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, France, Switzerland and Italy received a salvo of applause. Because in all honesty, taking into account the course devised by Joseph Lambert, reaching the finish is a victory in its own right …

“For the organisation as a whole, with twenty five persons on the course and some ten others in Belgium who took charge of the start and the finish, to hear the enthusiastic comments from the teams that made it back represents and enormous satisfaction, Jean-François Devillers explained, at the foot of the Palais des Princes-Evêques. Aiming at a far more sporting Liège-Rome-Liège, more in line with the Marathon de la Route of old, we made a gamble. The team that took charge of this event, with Joseph Lambert and Eric Chapa as the driving force, quite simply won unanimous support. During an entire week we were able to prove that this new version of the Liège-Rome-Liège is a true endurance event and taking a look at the drivers and co-drivers who did not compete this year, but who were present this Saturday in Liège, we can bet on the fact that there are better days to come. Mission accomplished!”

After having hesitated between the Porsche 911 and the Ford Anglia, Christian Crucifix, perfectly seconded by Yves Noelanders, had opted for the gorgeous 1960 machine boasting the blue oval. He made the right decision, seeing the duo quite simply never left the top rung of the rankings, to win the event. “Pointless in stating that the Liège-Rome-Liège was far from being a formality, Christian and Yves commented in unison. We knew that we would have trouble in the mountain passes, but with a course concocted by Joseph Lambert, it turned out to be an event where we needed to work hard from beginning to end. We’re completely worn out, but we have won! And what a magnificent event …”

With a total of 928,1 points, Crucifix and Noelanders finished in front of the Porsche 911 of Jacques Evrard and Christian Bernard (1081,0 points), who had retaken the position from the Porsche 914/6 of Serge Adriaens and Freddy Moors (1086,9 points) in a fierce battle for the 2nd place that kept all the followers on tenterhooks through until … Liège! A difference of less than 6 points after 55 regularity tests and 4,200 kilometres, who can top that?

In the wake of the leading trio, the British duo Mark and Susan Godfrey (MG B, 1299,8 points) were delighted with their 4th place surrounded by the Belgian Regularity specialists while the youngsters Florent Hontoir and Alexandre Peeters (Opel Ascona B, 1613,6 pts) more than completed their mission, integrating the top 5 that was their dream before the start. As for Yves Deflandre and his son Benoît (Porsche 911, 1769,6 points), they never stopped improving, accumulating partial victories but undergoing two mechanical issues at crucial moments. They finished the event in 6th place, they also proving that this Liège-Rome-Liège can also be a family affair.

The top 10 of this 2017 vintage was completed by Kurt Declerck and Steven Vyncke (Porsche 911 Targa, 7th, 1908,4 points), who admitted that this had most probably been the best regularity event they had competed in, Denis Robert and Jean-François Delincé (Ford Escort MK1, 8th, 2989,4 points), Tony Kevers and Baudouin Halleux (Porsche 911, 9th, 3206,4 points), not forgetting Victor Guilmain and Paul-Henry Jans (Porsche 924 S, 3842,6 points), all delighted with the experience.

At the end of this Marathon de la Route greeted with an enormous amount of interest shown from beginning to end throughout the week, the Trajectoire team is going to take a breather … prior to already starting to tackle the 2018 edition. Particularly as Joseph Lambert already has two or three rather brilliant ideas up his sleeve! The rendezvous has already been set …