Hohlandsbourg – Firstplan SS2-5

Every week, up to the Rally France-Alsace 2012, we will introduce each special stage, decrypted by the Rally’s General Manager, Dominique Serieys, and with the help of the organization stage managers. This week, Hohlandsbourg – Firstplan’s special stage (SS2-5).

Key Factors:

- Friday, October 5th
- 28.6 kilometers
- 1st car due: 1st loop 09:23 – 2nd loop 13:56
- Number of Course’s Safety Marshalls: 70
- Number of Public’s Safety Marshalls: 181

Analysis:

The twinning of these two stages means that the drivers will have to tackle a 28-km stage, and this will probably lead to gaps opening up between them right from the start.

Its twisty layout snakes along the Cinq Châteaux route and then returns to the Alsace plain. It crosses the communities of Husseren, Vœgtlinshoffen, the famous Goldert vineyard and the Gueberschwihr village, and then goes through a forest to the Firstplan pass and finishes with a quick flowing downhill section.

The opinion of Dominique Serieys, Rally France-Alsace’s General Manager :

- Description: « A not so easy warm-up, the twinning of these two special stages makes it an actual first difficulty and the gaps could already be significant. »

- Public Areas: « I would advise the following Public Areas (ZP): the ZP1 after the start where there are several ascending hairpins, the ZP11 which is located in Gueberschwihr, the ZP16 in Osenbuhr, the ZP 17 located near the direction change above Osenbach, and the ZP18 in Col du Firstplan. »