RECCE REPORT By Fred Bent, Clerk of the Course Rally Round's 2018 Paris-Amsterdam Rally will be a celebration of two great motoring anniversaries - of the first long-distance journey by motor car in 1888, and of the first international motor race just 10 years later. In planning the six-day rally route through France, Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands, I have sought to combine entertaining and traffic-free roads, challenging regularity sections, several iconic motorsport venues and many other points of scenic, historic and cultural interest, not to mention lovely refreshment and lunch stops and the very best hotels. It's amazing how much you can pack into each day on the road, even allowing for a relaxed schedule (appropriate for cars of all ages) and plenty of time for socialising. Having published a provisional itinerary in the event brochure, we embarked on a detailed route recce in August 2017, checking every aspect of the event, confirming venue details and writing a comprehensive roadbook. I have made a few minor improvements to the route outlined in the brochure, allowing more time to explore interesting places and steering clear of potential traffic hotspots wherever possible. I'm pleased with the result, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. If you haven't already done so you can reserve your place or obtain answers to any questions you might have by calling the Rally Office on +44 (0)1252 794100 or sending an email to [email protected]. You'll also find more details, a copy of the brochure including supplementary regulations and an online enquiry button on the Paris- Amsterdam page of our website - go to www.rallyround.co.uk. It's going to be a great event, and I look forward to seeing you on the start line! Fred Bent, Clerk of the Course Sunday 17th June - Paris (Chantilly) In 1898, the world's first international motor race was obliged to start from the outskirts of Paris, having been threatened with an armed blockade by the city's chief of police. Today we need only avoid an army of commuters, so as on our highly successful Paris-Prague event we will start from Chantilly, the horse-racing capital of France famed for its magnificent Chateau. Situated amid delightful parkland to the north-east of Paris, it is easy to reach via the A1 Autoroute, or by rail from the Eurostar terminus at Paris Gare du Nord, and you will find a warm welcome at the lovely Auberge du Jeu de Paume, our Rally HQ in the heart of the Domaine de Chantilly. Scrutineering will take place in the adjacent Chateau grounds and if you have time before this evening's briefing and dinner you may visit the Living Museum of the Horse and the Great Stables, built in the early 18th Century and surely the most beautiful in the world. Some 3,000 thoroughbreds still train in the surrounding area and you might well see some of them as June marks the beginning of the flat racing season, attracting society bigwigs to Chantilly for the historic Prix du Jockey-Club and Prix de Diane. Monday 18th June - Chantilly to Sedan (375km) From the rally start adjacent to the Chateau we shadow our 1898 forerunners, heading east through Picardy and Champagne-Ardenne and then north into Belgium. It is not our intention to slavishly follow the original race route; we will pause at some of its most interesting locations but also seek out new venues. One such is the picturesque Circuit des Ecuyers, a superb 3.5km track within a tranquil private estate surrounded by dense woodland in the rolling countryside 50km north-east of Paris. Circuit manager Erik Guittard was delighted to drive us around his well maintained facility, demonstrating a variety of corners that will provide plenty of entertainment. Our lunch halt at La Ferme de Presles Restaurant in Nanteuil-la-Foret will be familiar to those who enjoyed our 2017 Paris-Prague Rally. Dating back to the 16th Century, this beautiful old fortified farm has belonged to the Neve family since 1925 and the restaurant is housed in a wing that once served as a barn and stables. I do usually try to find different rest halts for every event but on this occasion the superb regional cuisine and attentive yet unobtrusive hospitality of Franck and his mother Marthe were simply too good to resist. The historic provinces of northern France are blessed with an abundance of excellent driving roads through attractive countryside, as well as many delightful towns and cities. The minor roads are generally very quiet but at the risk of meeting a little tourist traffic I feel it would be sacrilege to ignore the hauntingly evocative remains of the one of the greatest of all motorsport venues, Le Circuit de Reims-Gueux. First used in 1926, this frighteningly fast road course hosted the French Grand Prix between 1932 and 1966. The track closed in 1972 but the roads are still open. Many traces of the old circuit can still be found; the remaining start-line grandstand and pits complex have been restored and repainted with period advertising, so we will have a passage check and photo opportunity here. From Reims our route continues through Champagne into the Ardennes, where we follow the shore of Lac des Vieilles Forges - The old Iron Works Lake - before crossing into Belgium. Surrounded by forest, the lake provides a pleasant backdrop to our afternoon halt at the colourful little café Icrok. The day's final regularity takes us to our night halt in the city of Sedan, where the main attraction is a massive medieval fortress. Our hotel, Le Château Fort, is located within the castle, accessed via an apparently insignificant archway in the walls. The rooms have views of the courtyard or the rooftops of Sedan and we will dine in Le Saint Michel restaurant at the foot of the fortress, a wonderful establishment oozing French charm and serving delicious food. I don't think you'll be disappointed! Tuesday 19th June - Sedan to Hockenheim (370km) The Paris-Amsterdam Rally celebrates two great motoring milestones, not just the first international motor race but also the very first long-distance journey by motor car, 10 years previously, by the redoubtable Bertha Benz. Accordingly on Day 2 we turn off the 1898 race route and head east, beginning with a short regularity through the forest that straddles the Franco-Belgian border. We then enter Luxembourg, the least populous country in the European Union. Here on our route recce we spotted a very smart Triumph TR4 parked behind the Auberge de la Gaichel, a splendid family owned hotel. The TR is the pride and joy of the patriarch and he should enjoy our visit when we pop in for our morning coffee. From the sumptuous surroundings of the Auberge our drive takes us through lovely countryside along the Valley of the Seven Castles, passing by the Grand Chateau of Ansembourg. The Moselle marks the border with Germany and as we cross the river we enter that country’s smallest state, Saaland. This and the neighbouring Rhineland- Palatinate are wine growing areas and over the next three days you will see more vineyards than you can shake a gearstick at! Today's lunch halt is close to the river near the small town of Ockfen, at the appropriately named Weinhotel Klostermuhle. You might not be surprised to learn that the family of Maria and Marion Mangrich, who run the place, own a nearby winery producing Sarr Reisling. Lunch is followed by a short regularity around Mandern as we cross Saaland, heading for the Palatine Forest in south-western Germany. Ever conscious of the need to stop for refreshment, we chanced upon Schneider's Bistro in the little town of Hochsteyer. The owner, Somjai Schneider, greeted us enthusiastically and insisted we meet a neighbour who prepares classic cars, so we wandered over to the premises of historic vehicle specialists Edinger & Egelhof, where one of the partners, Robert was delighted to show us around the workshop. The Palatinate Forest is Germany's largest single expanse of woodland, home to lynxes, wildcats and peregrine falcons. Here we will run the final regularity of the day before driving on to Hockenheim. Our intention is to spend the early evening with a series of tests at the iconic Hockenheimring, where biennially the German Grand Prix is held. One of the most modern circuits in the world, it is also steeped in history, having opened in 1932. It now boasts a museum, hotel, restaurant, kart circuit and driver training area, and in the shadow of the main grandstand we shall have some fun before driving on to dinner at the comfortable See Hotel Ketsch. Wednesday 20th June - Hockenhem to Stuttgart (260km) On day three we partially retrace our tracks to pick up the Deutsche Weinstrasse or Wine Route, the oldest of Germany's scenic drives. Established in 1935 on the eastern side of the red sandstone formations of the Wasgau mountains, a profusion of vineyards dotted with picturesque wine-growing villages lend the region a Mediterranean air. For two days of our recce we were accompanied by German motorsport enthusiast Carl- Michael, along with his dog, Max. With their local knowledge and a keen nose we found some interesting locations including our morning coffee stop, a restaurant with its own vineyard, the Hofgut Ruppertsberg. Wolfgang, a friend of our guide, used his considerable influence to have them open up especially for us. It really is a delightful place, with the ambience of an old barn, tasteful furnishings, free-range chickens in the garden and an organic restaurant.