The 2010 Tour Auto sponsored by Optic 2000 was held April 19-24 in France, leaving once again from Paris. After an incursion to the North and the shores of the Channel, the 2010 edition returned to the South, with a finish in Beaulieu-sur-Mer.
After the Ferrari 250 “Tour de France” in 2007, the OSCA in 2008, the Jaguar MkII and Ford GT40 in 2009, the Tour Auto Optic 2ooo celebrated in 2010 the 50th anniversary of the first victory of the Ferrari 250 SWB in the Tour de France Automobile. The grid for this year’s event included seventeen Ferrari 250GT SWB, all paying tribute to the anniversary.
As in 2009, the Tour began from the Jardins des Tuileries in Paris. An ideal location situated in the heart of the capital, for the many visitors could come and admire the public exhibition of the cars on Monday April 19, day of checks and scrutineering.
1st stage: Tuesday 20 April / Paris – Vichy
Escorted by the Garde Republicaine, the competitors taking part to the 19th edition of the Tour Auto Optic 2ooo left the Jardin des Tuileries at the day break to join Fontainebleau, place of the official start of the rally. As in 2008, the whole grid took benefit from a privileged welcome in the main courtyard, to the spectators’ great delight. These ones were really numerous to encourage the competitors and admire the cars.
The History then immediately gave up its place to the competition, with a first special stage on a very sinuous and narrow closed road. A very technical stage which didn’t scared Hugo Payen on his powerful Jaguar Type E. The French young man scored the best time of the VHC category. The 2009 winner, Shaun Lynn on his Ford GT40, lied in ambush.
At Magny Cours, first circuit of the 2010 Tour, the Competition grids, which were the first to take the start, ensured the show with some very strong battles on the track. Hugo Payen, one of the favourite competitors of the rally unfortunately had to abandon, made way for Shaun Lynn to lead the classification at the end of the day.
2nd stage: Wednesday 21 April / Vichy – Lyon
A very sporting day awaited the competitors. To begin with, the winding and hilly layout of Charade, before the day’s first special stage and lunch at the Vollore castle from where they admired a sumptuous panorama. Then another road stage before arriving at the second stop-over town. A novelty for this 2010 edition as the Tour’s caravan stopped in the heart of Lyon, in the Tete d’Or Park.
3rd stage: Thursday 22 April / Lyon – Megeve
The competitors returned to the Bresse circuit that they discovered and unanimously appreciated for the first time in 2009. Two road special stages were also on the programme. The Tour then gained altitude, first of all in the Jura then in the Alps while heading towards another new stop-over at Megeve.
4th stage: Friday 23 April / Megeve – Aix-en-Provence
No circuit on the menu for this day, but three special road stages, two in the morning and one in the afternoon. As an interlude for this long day which will cross five departments (Savoie, Isere, Drome et Vaucluse and Bouches du Rhone) the competitors lunched in the fabulous settings of the Couvent des Carmes (14th Century), overlooking the Isere Valley. The finish was in Aix-en-Provence.
5th stage: Saturday 24 April / Aix-en-Provence – Beaulieu-sur-Mer
After a last special road stage, the final classifications were made, as in 2008, on the ultramodern Paul Ricard HTTT circuit. This time the public was able to watch the very last sparring. Azure from beginning to end, the last liaison route took Dolce Vita airs, via the Esterel massif and the vertiginous panoramas of the mythical Corniche, between Nice and Monaco, where the competitors were awaited at Beaulieu-sur-Mer for the prize-giving dinner.
2010 Tour Auto Optic 2000 – Results
Entrants in the Tour Auto compete in two general classifications – “Competition” and “Regularity.” The main difference between the two groupings is that “Competition” races against the stopwatch, while “Regularity” races with the stopwatch.
VHC – Competition
1. Lajournade/Baron – Lotus Elan
2. Adriaans/Adriaans – AC Cobra
3. Bentz/Trichet – Jaguar Type E
Groupe G – Competition
1. Vercamer/Vercamer – Porsche 906
2. Logan/Hampton – Porsche 914/6 GT
3. Clerc/Dijoux – Alpine Renault A 110
Groupe H – Competition
1. Mr. John of B./Sibel – Porsche 906
2. Ragnotti/Mercier – Alpine Renault A 110
3. Serpaggi/Prevost – Alpine Renault A 110 Gr. IV
Indice de Performance – Competition
1. Junne/Maxted-Page – Porsche 356
2. Cathiard/Cathiard – Alfa Romeo 1900 SS
3. Le Gloahec/Patissier – Jaguar MK1
Régularité
1. Demiguel/Suarez – Ferrari 275 GTB
2. Ruston/Haylock – Porsche 356 “SPEEDS”
3. Gatehouse/Nijthall – Ferrari 250 GT Lusso
For complete results, visit www.tourauto.com.
[Source: Tour Auto]
