The 2024 Rallye Terre des Cardabelles, held from 4-6October, delivered intense competition across its challenging stages, culminating in a triumphant victory for Matthieu and Mathilde Margaillan in their Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. With this win – marking their fourth victory of the season – the duo secured the 2024 French Gravel Rally Championship title in impressive fashion.
Despite tough competition from rivals Laurent Pellier/Yannick Roche (Hyundai i20 Rally2), the Margaillans held their ground and showcased their dominance throughout the season. Pellier, who set the fastest time on five of the event’s stages, put up a fierce fight but ultimately finished just 5.3 seconds behind the Margaillans, narrowly missing out on his first CFRT victory.
“It’s frustrating to come so close to the win,” Pellier commented. “We’ve been chasing it since the beginning of the year. Given our off-road incident last weekend at Rallye Cœur de France and the changes in our co-driver lineup, it’s still a performance to be proud of. We’ve raised our level again.”
The battle for third place was no less thrilling, with Benjamin Clemençon (Volkswagen Polo Rally2) and Emmanuel Gascou (Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) locked in a tight duel throughout the rally. Unfortunately, Clemençon was forced to retire just one stage before the finish line, allowing Gascou to clinch the final podium spot.
“I’m very happy to finish third at the Victory Park,” said Gascou. “This rally has always been good to me, and now I have two consecutive podium finishes. I’m really pleased with my season and being part of this team.”
Rounding out the top five were Pierre Ragues (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2), who delivered a solid and consistent performance to take fourth place, and Loïc Costes (Citroën C3 Rally2), making his debut in a four-wheel-drive car and tackling the tough Aveyron stages for the first time.
Millau-native Florian Condamines, who was tipped to challenge for the podium, will be left ruing his luck after suffering a puncture on SS2 and making a mistake on SS7, which ultimately cost him valuable time. He ended the rally in sixth place.
The impressive Renault Clio Rally3 of Simon Heinneman took seventh place, holding its own amongst the more powerful Rally2 machinery, while an unfortunate error in SS2 saw Pablo Sarrazin (Volkswagen Polo Rally2) drop out after a strong fourth-place showing on the opening stage.
In the Clio Trophy France Terre and CFRT Two-Wheel-Drive categories, Benjamin Boulenc took a double victory, showcasing his dominance and skill on the demanding gravel stages. Meanwhile, in the Trophée National Terre Yacco, Wilfried Jacq emerged victorious in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9 R4.
Driver Quotes
Matthieu Margaillan (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 – Team AMD Motorsport), winner: “I’m super happy. This rally has never really been kind to us. We struggled during the first leg and today had its ups and downs. We had a real battle with Laurent—it was incredible. It worked out in our favour, and to take the title at the same time is just perfect.”
Laurent Pellier (Hyundai i20 Rally2 – Team HDG 2C Compétition), second place:
“We’re still pleased, even though it’s frustrating to come so close to victory, which we’ve been chasing all season. Considering the off last weekend at Coeur de France and the changes in co-driver, everything went very smoothly. I’m very satisfied with our performance and how we’ve continued to improve.”
Emmanuel Gascou (Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo – Team AMD Motorsport), third place:
“I’m really happy because finishing third at the Victory Park is always a good feeling. This rally has been good to me, and getting two consecutive podiums is a great story. I’m delighted with my season and to be part of this team.”
The next round of the championship will see competitors head to the final event of the season, where the remaining class titles will be decided.
Overall Results
01: M. Margaillan/M. Margaillan (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) – 1h 27m 36.8s
02: L. Pellier/Y. Roche (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) + 5.3s
03: E. Gascou/G. De Turckheim (Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) + 1m 27.2s
04: P. Ragues/J. Pesenti (Škoda Fabia Rally2) + 2m 17.1s
05: L. Costes/C. Perrin (Citroën C3 Rally2) + 2m 31.3s
06: F. Condamines/D. Jole (Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) + 3m 35.4s
07: S. Heinemann/Y. Heinemann (Renault Clio Rally3) + 5m 44.8s
08: C. Rabasse/S. Rabasse (Škoda Fabia R5) + 6m 32.6s
09: F. Pradayol/N. Beaulieu (Hyundai i20 R5) + 6m 48.5s
10: M. Prevalet/E. Prevalet-Chevalley (Škoda Fabia R5) + 7m 14.4s