RtG Ypres-Istanbul Daily Dispatch - complete - web - Flipbook - Page 4
13 June to 3 July 2022
Day 1
Ypres to Ypres, Flanders loop (144.5 km)
Today’s prologue loop might have been a short
one but, with six Regularities to tackle, it was a
busy one. Luckily, on a day as hot as this, there
were a few well placed refreshment stops set into
the schedule and a good lunch to ease the crews
into the rhythm of the rally.
14 June 2022
Franco / Belgian border. Schengen at its very best, where
only the street names gave any hint of which country we
were in.
Soon after, the road book drew our attention to a stretch
of road made famous by the airborne antics of the WRC,
illustrated by the deep sump guard shaped grooves cut into
the landing zone. With all four wheels safely on the ground,
Fred Gallagher’s Passage Control in Boonaert was all that
stood between the crews and their lunch at the Time Control
in Watou, where we were served some hearty fare on the
terrace of the St Bernardus Brewery. Although, wisely, their
self proclaimed heavenly nectar was left off the menu.
With just enough time allowed to digest the excellent
cold meats and beef, the fourth Regularity of the day at
De Helleketel began within metres of the car park. Once
again the rally found itself quickly switching between left
Text & photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
Design: K-Design
For the first day of the Ypres to Istanbul Challenge a
leisurely, very civilised, 10.01am start had been planned.
Fred Gallagher waved the distinctive Vlag van België sending
the cars into the intricate network of minor highways and
byways that make the Flanders Fields such a magnet for
rally cars - and cyclists. Our passage today was punctuated
by neat rows of war graves, with place names straight out
of the pages of the history books, chronicling the darker
side of the European story.
Having cleared the medieval town square - adjacent
to the slightly less medieval beach volleyball court - the
first Regularity at Hollebeke soon arrived. It was a great
surprise to find two RtG stalwarts, Mick and Grace de Haas
running the start control whilst Dr John Llewelyn and
Andrew Kellitt were on duty at the finish. In between were
almost 6km of short straights, sharp turns and beautiful
scenery leading immediately into the second Regularity at
Heuvelland, which was just as pretty and just as tricky.
By now the rally had earned a break and the Time Control
in Mesen gave the crews the chance to grab a quick coffee,
or perhaps an ice cream, before the third Regularity, Jeux
avec Frontières. As the name implies this section gave us
the opportunity to play along the sinuous and permeable
www.rallytheglobe.com