It’s snowing on the Turini. Or it was. And it might well again.
After fears of a bone-dry season-opener, the weather looks set to move in right on cue for this week’s Monte Carlo Rally.
A week out from the start of the Gap-based event, the roads were dry and winters and studded winter tyres looked set to stay in the back of the van.
Not anymore. It began snowing on the route on Friday night and there’s more expected later this week.
As DirtFish’s Colin Clark found out when he moved into the charming Hotel des Chamois for a night during the recce, there’s snow on the summit of the Sunday stages.
M-Sport Ford World Rally Team driver Rhys Yates admitted the recce had been interesting.
“It was definitely more complicated than we thought it might be,” he said.
“The snow’s not too bad, but it’s gauging when that snow’s going to melt and when it does melt, when and where is that going to turn to ice?
“The Col de Turini was really nice, but the snow was literally just where you popped up on the Col, otherwise it wasn’t so bad.”
Petter Solberg told DirtFish he expected the first full day of the season to be a real challenge.
“Friday’s stages will be tricky,” said Solberg, a Monte podium finisher in 2012.
“That day for sure will be a proper Monte with all the question for the tyres and the full range of conditions – there’s going to be a bit of everything that day.
“I think this one’s going to be a proper one, especially with the chance of the weather getting worse later in the week.”
