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Dolomiti Sfida - 22 September to 9 October 2017
Our
biennial tour of Europe headed for the usual start town of Reims where
six of our seven crews mustered for this years Dolomiti Sfida, the
Dolomite Challenge. Our seventh and final crew would join at the
next town on
out trip.
The roadbook said our trip would cover 1875 miles
heading
as far east as Slovenia, travelling across ten countries, over some of the highest and famous passes
in the Alps. For those starting in the UK, the home to home
trip would be closer to 3500 to 4000, with one crew reporting 4270 miles on
the clock.
Viaggio a Reims - Travel to Reims. 22 September
Crews
made their way to Reims using several methods. I met up with my
co-driver John Stuart in Galashiels and headed for Newcastle to
board the Amsterdam ferry. Here we met Dave and Maureen Spence in their
BMW 325Ci Sport, Roddie and Sylvia Main in their Mercedes 320SL,
Richard and Yvonne Bartniczek in their Alfa Romeo Spider seen on
several of our previous continental tours. We all enjoyed our first
meal care of DFDS ferries saying farewell to Blighty in the distance. Meanwhile
Joe Norman and Terry Clark took the direct Dover Calais ferry in their
Porsche 911 Turbo, another crew and car seen on previous sorties to
Europe. Taking the tunnel crossing was our final UK crew Mag and Don
Campbell in their Ferrari 328, a regular having completed every
continental tour since the inaugural 2009 tour.
Arriving in
Amsterdam on the morning of the 22nd most took the direct route to
Reims. I got stopped after passport control and breathalaysed. Now not
having had the pleasure before I provided a short puff into the device.
Wrong said our friendly policeman. All I managed to do was throw the unit
into tilt mode which kept bleeping and making other stange noises. A
second attempt fared a bit better but still screwed the device up,
though a smile indicated I had passed the test, even though I left the
policeman trying with his colleagues to reset his breathalayser.
My
co-driver John Stuart had not travelled the Western Front so I took him
the scenic route through Holland, Belgium and France to
Passchendale, Tyne Cot, Thiepval and Lochnagar Crater at La Boselle,
before we joined the other crews for the opening gala dinner in Reims.
Primo Stadio - Reims to Gerardmer. 23 September
The
morning mist lay thick on the ground as we prepped the cars with rally
plates and checked over the oil, cleaned the windscreens, and made sure
the inter car walkie talkies worked.
It was then our first
trauma struck. Hit by the smell and the pool of liquid under the
Mercedes, Roddie was on the ground checking for leaks. Most of
the fuel had leaked out of the tank all over the hotel car park,
so a no smoking zone was quickly established. With the Ferrari parked
right next door we took extra care. A ruptured feed pipe was eventually
identified but how to repair, as it was tucked well up behind the rear
scuttle. A Call to breakdown services secured help, which on a Saturday
morning in France is no mean feat.
Meanwhile the rest of us fuelled up before taking to the Reims
Gueux circuit for the obligatory photo lineup shoot.
Terry and Joe in the Porsche had noticed smoke entering the cockpit so
pulled in at the fuel station, opened the bonnet (front of a Porsche
remember) to see smoke coming from the wiring loom under the
windscreen. Pull the baggage out to find the source and a speedy repair
before the loom melted away. What a start to the event !
We had just arrived at the circuit, and started to click a few snaps when no less than
27 Porsche's arrived through the morning mist to do the same thing. They too were on a tour, but
came from all across Europe.
Reims Gueux in the mist, with 27 Porsche's joining us.
Photos complete we returned to
Roddie who was now in a garage having the punctured pipe replaced. He
would take the fast road toward our next overnight at Gerardmer in the Vosge mountains, to
catch us up, while we headed south on the first 181km (112ml)
sprint. With the sun breaking through, the temperature climbed to
welcome 21 degrees. Even had to stop for sunscreen.
We
set off back to Reims and on to the main route. Getting out of Reims
can be a problem and some of us took a wrong slot. This would be a
regular occurence for all of us during the tour. Fortunately my
co-driver John kept the MX5 on the right road and with the help of the
walkie talkies found a regroup spot to pull into wait for the others.
A
lunch stop in a sleepy town on a Saturday had us searching for a
hostelry. We found one with drinks but no food. Terry had spotted a boulangerie and
jogged back before it closed to buy what was left on the shelves. Top
marks again to that man for ingenuity. Puts fires out and finds
food.
Climbed our first col of the tour Col du Poirier at a vertigo inducing 433 metres. Much higher peaks to come.
It
was at Gerardmer, on the side of Lac de Gerardmer we met Roddie and
Sylvia, with an intact Mercedes, and our seventh crew, Ranald Bruce and
Louise Wall in the Fiat Barchetta. Club members Ranald and Louise moved
to France from Scotland some years ago but join our European tours
whenever they can. Great to have them along, and for the first evening
dinner. Rallying is a social event when on these tours.
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Updated 19 January 2018
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