RtG The Daily Dispatch - Carrera Riviera - WEB - Flipbook - Page 17
4 to 15 June 2023
Day 8
Valence to Lyon (293.1km)
Bob Cook and Geoff Morson, 1937 Chevrolet Coupe
Valence may be the door to the South of France, but this
morning we slipped quietly out of the side gate to explore
this remote and sparsely populated area. The roads had
more twists and turns than the plot of a murder mystery
thriller but, happily, today’s book had a much more
agreeable outcome with an evening spent in the lap of
luxury, thanks to the InterContinental Lyon – Hotel Dieu.
The story of our day began with a long climb to the first
Section over the Col de la Fayolle, taking us to just above
the tree line at 887m. The descent delivered us to the Time
Control in the La Remise rally themed café, after which
we opened another chapter and made our way to the Col
de Mézilhac. Our Swiss contingent must have felt right at
home, with lush alpine meadows, stands of pine trees and
herds of cows all featuring on the way to another Section
from Lachamp–Raphaël. As well as being a thoroughly
enjoyable drive, this Section proved to be a good test of the
brakes and steering.
The Col de Joux and the Col de Clavier came and went
as we rolled towards Saint-Agrève. Unfortunately some
crews were caught in localised rain showers within sight of
the lunch halt and Time Control at Le Fort du Pré in SaintBonnet-le-Froid. There was ample time to dry out and, once
everyone was accounted for, tuck into some fine local food.
The clouds disappeared and we set off for another hilly
Section almost as soon as we’d left the village.
The rally was well into its stride and showed no signs of
altitude sickness as the day progressed and we approached
our zenith. The 1201m Col de la Croix de Chaubouret gave
us some amazing views over the Rhône and its valley.
Whilst the 1233m Col de Œillon gave us an excellent Time
Control and coffee halt in the Auberge du Collet on Mont
Pilat itself, a favourite of motoring and cycling enthusiasts
alike. Quite literally the high point of the day, from here it
was downhill, with only the 625m Col de Grenouze to deal
with on the way to the last Section over the beautiful hills
of the Côte-Rôtie.
The route into the night halt had been well researched
and used as many minor roads as possible. So, very soon,
Photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
Today the Carrera Riviera soared to new heights
over a wide ranging route across the magnificent
Pilat Regional Natural Park and the AuvergneRhône-Alpes, spending most of its time around
1000m above where we were at the same time
last week.
12 June 2023
Ean and Alison Lewin, 1973 Ford Escort Mexico
www.rallytheglobe.com