The all-electric Alpine A290 Rally Trophy ends its first full season at the Critérium des Cévennes next week. Melvin Rabilloud and Enzo Mahinc have already wrapped up the title mathematically, but the remaining podium places, the Performer classification and the Alpine Store Challenge are all still open. Alpine says €236,000 in prize money and awards is at stake.

The Alpine A290 Rally Trophy launched at Rallye de l’Indre less than a year ago. According to Alpine, the electric one-make series has grown in popularity during its first full season on French special stages. Crews have already contested rounds at Le Touquet, the Vosges, Mont-Blanc and Cœur de France. The final round is the Critérium des Cévennes, one of the flagship events of the FFSA French Rally Championship.

Rabilloud and Mahinc need only to start

Melvin Rabilloud and Enzo Mahinc (Fun Meca Sport / Alpine Store Annecy) won the inaugural edition of the trophy. They have won three of this season’s four rounds so far, and no one can now catch them in the title race. Starting the Critérium des Cévennes will be enough to secure a second consecutive title. That also earns them an official Alpine programme in the 2027 French Rally Championship.

The defending champions can add more to their season by winning the Performer classification and taking the Alpine Store Challenge for Alpine Store Annecy. In both contests their main rivals are again Aymeric Lenoir and Florian Hosson (FK Express / Alpine Store Calais). Between them, the two pairs have won every stage this season. Both will be tackling the Cévennes stages for the first time, and points at this round are multiplied by 1.5.

A close fight for the podium

The runner-up spots are far less settled. Denis Ridel (RDL Développement) has finished on the podium at every round this year and currently leads the Alpine A290 Regional Trophy. He sits second in the general classification and will be partnered by new co-driver Emma Bonnemort. However, Alpine notes that his worst result so far counts against him compared with Lenoir and Hosson.

Pascal Janel and Jean-Pascal Berger (BTEC Team Race School Consulting) have improved steadily and are chasing their first podium. Janel is based in Hérault, took a class win at his home event and hopes his knowledge of the roads will give him an edge. Philippe Janvier (David Auto Compétition / Alpine Store Clermont-Ferrand) returns to the Cévennes 20 years after his last appearance, with his niece Julie Derory co-driving. Benoît Mouquet, the first winner of the French Slalom Cup Finale in the Alpine A290 Rallye, teams up with new co-driver Benoît Gamelin.

Other crews to watch are Turkish pair Nazan Zorlu and Ozhan Ciplak (Chazel Technologie Course / Alpine Store Nîmes) and Emma Chalvin and Amandine Borderie (Rageau Sport Location / Alpine Store Mantes-Le Vexin). Zorlu and Ciplak currently lead their French rivals, but a weaker dropped score means they are expected to push hard. Sandro Negre and Gilles Gaussens (FK Express / Alpine Guadeloupe) finished fifth in the Indre last year and fourth in the Alps.

A circuit champion tries rallying

The Alpine A290 Rallye VIP car has already been driven by Julien Ingrassia, Meltem Tasan and Alexandra La Belge this season. For the finale it goes to Romain Monti, the 2026 Alpine ELF Cup Series Pro-Am champion, who will make his rally debut. Monti won five races this season with Rodolphe Wallgren in the A110 Cup. He also won the Silver Cup at the 2018 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and is known for sharing his racing with his online community, the ‘Montiz’. His co-driver will be Hervé Faucher, Alpine Racing’s official co-driver in the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship. The VIP crew is not eligible for points or bonuses.

The route

The rally covers 527.60 km (328 miles) in total, including 131.06 km (81 miles) of timed running over 14 special stages. Alpine describes the roads as demanding and warns of a high risk of bad weather in the region.

  • Friday: three loops of La Cadière–Sumène (12.84 km) and Rey–Mandagout (8.51 km)
  • Saturday: two runs each of Asclier – Col de Bès (5.62 km) and Col de la Tribale – Saint-Martial – Sumène (12.24 km), plus the longest test, Asclier – Sumène (19.08 km / 11.9 miles)
  • Sunday: Saint-Bauzille to Ferrières-les-Verreries (4.70 km), Pompignan to Claret (6.51 km) and the 1.00 km Alpine Store Montpellier – Sud de France Arena super-special stage

How the scoring works

As at every round, crews will use a dedicated service park with technical support, charging facilities and a spare parts service. Alpine Racing runs scrutineering and allocates Michelin tyres to keep the competition fair. On each of the last six stages, the three fastest drivers earn up to three extra Performer points on top of the normal finishing points. With the 1.5 multiplier also in play, the outcome could stay open until the final stage.

Facts: Critérium des Cévennes, Alpine A290 Rally Trophy finale

  • Total distance: 527.60 km (328 miles)
  • Timed distance: 131.06 km (81 miles) over 14 special stages
  • Points multiplier: 1.5
  • Prize money and bonuses: €236,000 (season total, according to Alpine)
  • Champions: Melvin Rabilloud / Enzo Mahinc (title secured mathematically, subject to starting)
  • Entries: 10 crews, including the non-scoring A290 Rallye VIP

The Critérium des Cévennes takes place next week and closes the 2026 Alpine A290 Rally Trophy season.

Source: media.alpinecars.com