Col de Turini

The Rallye Monte Carlo, one of the icons of the motorsport world, shifts into gear this week (Jan 21-24). Given its Riviera location, history and challenging mix of stages, a capricious blend of asphalt, snow and ice, plus the odd controversy or two thrown in for good measure, the Monte has long been a rally like none other. Rally fever? The 2016 Monte, which kicks off this Thursday, has it in spades.

High up in the spectacular Alpes-Maritimes above Monte Carlo we find the most famous mountain stage on the most famous winter rally of them all: the Col de Turini.

Through the years, crews traditionally tackled the Turini (1607 metres high) at night. If the endless high-speed twists and turns on the ascent were a challenge, as they approached the summit, they were suddenly presented with a very different heart pumping experience.

As they burst out of the blackness, a huge hailstorm of flashbulbs, noise and flares erupted as a big, boisterous, football-style crowd was there, ready, waiting to cheer them on. Even for experienced crews, the whole thing was said to be genuinely character building.

That’s what I’ve long read about and wanted to see for myself, a summit firmly embedded in rallying folklore. Thirty years ago, on the launch of the Ford Sierra XR4 4×4, I marvelled at the fabulous car control and finesse of former works rally driver Gunnar Palm as he drove me across some snowier lower sections of the Turini.

But last year, on a kind of ‘busman’s holiday,’ I finally had the chance to do the whole 23 kms of the Turini myself. On a bakingly hot summer’s day in mid August, but not to worry…

It would nice of course to say I had something fast and furious at my disposal (a Lancia Rally 037 or Mitsubishi Lancer Evo would have been good) but actually I attacked the mountain in a Peugeot 308 HDi 120 courtesy of Europcar. Yup, that’s right, a hire car but against the odds, perhaps, this turned out to be one of the best new age 308s I’ve driven with all the suspension suppleness, intuitive steering and compliant, well absorbed ride of great Peugeots of the past. Hurrah, Peugeot has its mojo back again.

Back in January 2002, I came across a brilliant ‘how to’ guide to the Turini, written by John Davenport in Motor Sport. It was all there, the different routes, landmarks, stages that have come and gone: exactly what I wanted. An inspired piece of writing, too.

Thus the day came and setting out from my hotel, I eventually find my way to the town of La Turbie on the Corniche Sublime where the legendary Turini climb starts in earnest.

From there, I take the D53, D22 and D21 up towards L’Escarene and through the hairpins, let me tell you this is driving enjoyment of the top, top order…

On the way up, I tackle the infamously twisty and narrow stage over the Col de la Madone that’s featured some years on the Monte, but I confess I much prefer the wider, faster sweeps of the Col de Braus. This section is simply fantastic in a road car (you’ll be whooping with joy behind the wheel).  In a rally car? Unimaginable. Off the clock.

Soon, I pass a large brick wall daubed with slogans, ‘Peugeot’ and ‘Makinen’ among them. I’m getting close. I’m also thinking now about some of the controversies and dangers that have that dogged the Monte over time: spectators shovelling extra snow, stones or logs into the way of the cars to make things, ahem, a bit more “interesting.”

That, along with the ever fickle weather, has helped make the Monte such a lottery through the years….