55
cap on top of the car in Valence before
driving off from a gas station in a mad
rush on the last day.
Camilla was a great companion on
the rally. She had no idea what to expect
and although she was terrified on the
first “regularity” when I overtook two
cars going down an icy mountain, she
soon became acclimatised to my way
of driving and the roads. Our little car
had struggled up the mountains at the
start and we were massively behind
time, so I was doing my best to catch
up on the downhill sections. The roads
often had sheer drops on the side with
merely a few bricks scattered on the
edge which would have done nothing
to stop one from going over. Going up, I
was mainly in second gear revving up to
around 7.5 rpm so the engine sounded
uncomfortably noisy but I soon realised
that I had unbelievable confidence in the
car and began to see why Alfa Romeos
are so loved.
Having learned a lot about the
rally from men who had previously
participated, Camilla and I soon began
cars could come around the corner at section. The jack in the boot was
to discover one of the difficulties women
any minute. All these instances were strapped down so tightly that the clasp
face - going to the loo. The male teams
however highly amusing and added to had jammed. For 15 minutes Camilla
were stopping all over the place but for
the fun of the journey. and I were jumping up and down in
us girls it was a tricky issue, especially in
On the whole we did surprisingly desperation, mortified that we might
our racing suits. For a start, once you’ve
well for our first rally. There were a few miss our deadline and furious with
found an unexposed area (sometimes
scary moments when we didn’t think ourselves for not taking a knife with us.
impossible) you have to take the whole
we’d make it, such as when we couldn’t Thankfully I was able to flag down two
suit off and it’s cold during winter in
start the car in Valence and had to get charming French gentlemen who cut the
the mountains! Trying to gather up
a push start. On the last day however, strap with their penknife so we were able
everything around you so no item of
we were in 103rd position out of over to change our wheel, scramble back into
clothing touches the floor is also rather
330 cars. Unfortunately, we blew a tyre the car, finish the ‘regularity section” and
complicated, especially when you know
at 3am in the “penultimate regularity” the following one. But as can so easily
On the whole we did surprisingly
well for our first rally. There were a
few scary moments when we didn’t
think we’d make it, such as when
we couldn’t start the car in Valence
and had to get a push start.
avantoure
|
adrenaline rainbow
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