The all-electric Alpine A290 Rally Trophy reached its season halfway mark at the e-Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine, where reigning champion Melvin Rabilloud and co-driver Enzo Mahinc took a home win. It was their second victory of the year and it extends their lead in the standings with two rounds still to run. Every crew that started the rally also finished it, which Alpine points to as evidence of the electric hatchback’s durability in competition.
Alpine’s one-make series for the electric A290 returned from its summer break with the longest timed stage the championship has yet contested, run over the mountain roads around Morzine in the French Alps. Crews used Thursday’s shakedown to find their rhythm after the recce earlier in the week.
Rabilloud sets the pace from the start
Arriving as leader of the general classification, Melvin Rabilloud was quickest from the opening test. Driving for Alpine Store Annecy, he took the stage between Samoëns and Morzine, then repeated the result on the second loop and on the third run through La Côte d’Arbroz – Essert-Romand – Taninges. Aymeric Lenoir, winner of the Vosges round, broke the sequence on the night stage between Morzine and Montriond-le-Lac to cut the deficit to 28.2s.
Saturday’s six stages each carried up to three bonus points for the fastest crews, and Rabilloud took control again in the morning before pressing on between Lullin and Orcier. Lenoir answered with fastest time on La Vernaz – Vailly 2, but Rabilloud hit back immediately and entered the final loop 37.3s clear. He stretched that margin over the last two sectors to finish 51.4s ahead of Lenoir and co-driver Sophie Lallement, who still scored heavily in the fight for the title.
A podium run and a rally debut
Denis Ridel, partnered by Gaëtan Debec, was third for his third consecutive podium and continues to lead the Alpine A290 Regional Trophy. Sandro Negre and Gilles Gaussens took fourth on their first outing since last year’s Rallye de l’Indre, while Pascal Janel and Jean-Pascal Berger completed the top five by 5.7s over Emma Chalvin and Amandine Borderie.
Meltem Tasan, competing with Hervé Faucher under the Alpine A290 Rally VIP programme, finished eighth on her rally debut, though her entry was not eligible for points or bonuses. According to Alpine, the fact that all ten crews reached the finish confirms the reliability of its all-electric competition car.
“A home victory surpasses all others as the emotions are so much stronger in a magnificent setting,” Rabilloud said. “Patience was key in this rally. There were some very long special stages on Friday, with dizzying descents. We had to manage things carefully, not take too many risks and look after the brakes.”
What it means for the title
With two wins from three rounds, Rabilloud now holds 128 points to Lenoir’s 90 and Ridel’s 82, and also leads the separate ‘Performer’ standings for stage times. His results have pushed Alpine Store Annecy to 128 points in the Alpine Store Challenge, ahead of Alpine Store Calais on 102.
The championship matters beyond the trophy: the eventual winner earns a place on an official Alpine programme, which gives the closing rounds added weight. The Cévennes finale also carries a points coefficient, meaning the gap at the top is less secure than it looks.
Next round
The series continues at Rallye Cœur de France on 25–27 September, again within the French Rally Championship, where Alpine provides technical support, charging facilities and a spare parts service for the field.
Source: media.alpinecars.com