Motor rally race at Sauveterre-la-Lémance

WHAT should be a quiet Sunday morning as the sun beats down on the French countryside is anything but as the turbo on a Renault 5 GT rattles my ribcage.

Its driver revs the engine as his co-driver signs the final pieces of paper before it shoots off to the start line ready to blast around the narrow lanes near Sauveterre-la-Lémance (map).

This is the 24th running of a day’s racing that sets out from the small village found in the north east corner of the Lot et Garonne, and skirts the borders of the Dordogne and the Lot.

Just over 80 amateur drivers from Aquitaine and Midi-Pyrennes take part in five short timed stages, with the chateaux of Sauveterre-la-Lémance and Bonaguil as a backdrop.

I asked Marie Carrie, who was co-driver for the locally based car of driver Xavier Devecchi, for a few pointers on how the morning’s racing would play out.

"The fastest drivers and most powerful cars head out first and drive up to the starting point before having a timed run along an 8km course," Marie explained.

"Then each minute drivers set off and later in the morning we get the chance to have a second run, with a different course in the afternoon that goes towards Fumel, and we have three attempts at that."

A few minutes later and Marie’s car, number 58, was lined up ready as she signed in at the registration desk, received a timing sheet and jumped in alongside Xavier for their first run of the day.

With a wave their Renault Clio disappeared out of sight as the booming noise of their exhaust rattled around the narrow streets of Sauveterre-la-Lémance.

Other cars returned to the service area some carrying a dent or two, whilst one was being pushed back with smoke pouring out from beneath its bonnet.

And running a car can be a costly business, entrance to the race itself costs €220, whilst all the competitors have to be officially registered and turn up the day before racing to ensure both they and their vehicles are checked by race organisers ASA Gascogne Agenais.

Around the village people are sat on their front door steps, or hanging out of their windows, watching the cars speed through the streets, although at this point drivers are meant to keep to le code de la route although few can resist applying a little extra shoe leather to the gas pedal.

But life still goes on in the village and as it is a Sunday morning papers have to be bought, a woman leaves the local shop with a packet of biscuits and there is always time for a chat on the small bridge over the Lémance river.

A little later I see that Marie and Xavier have just got back in from their run and with the bonnet popped up a few tweaks are made.

"The first race went well, but we are hoping for better the second time around," Marie says as she heads off to hand in her time sheet in the salle de fête, where later this evening the trophies will be handed out.