Michel Decremer and Yannick Albert have claimed overall victory at this year’s Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique at the wheel of their Opel Ascona 2000.
Decremer’s win came a year after finishing fourth in the same event. The pair took the lead after the sixth stage, when the team broke with convention and ran snow tyres instead of spikes, which the majority of the field had chosen. They remained ahead of the pack until the penultimate stage, where they lost time due to engine problems, yet a strong performance in the final stage saw them hold on for the win.
“This edition was more challenging than the last one,” said Decremer. “Lots of ice and slippery spots on the roads. Less snow, but tough nonetheless. This kind of regularity rally can only be won if ever piece of the puzzle falls into place. The preparation, the understanding between driver and co-driver, and the support from mechanics. We didn’t really make any mistakes, and were able to deliver a consistent performance. In the last stage we only got 40 penalty points, allowing us to make up for the time lost in stage 13 and keeping our closest rivals at bay.”
Greg MacLeman is a contributor to and former Features Editor of Classic & Sports Car, and drives a restored and uprated 1974 Triumph 2500TC