93 crews participated at the 32nd edition of the Rallye de Wallonie, fourth round of the Belgian championship. Despite alarmist predictions, it's only at the very end Sunday morning that the rain really started to fall after two beautiful sunny legs that allowed a new great popular success of the (double) show stage on Friday evening on the Citadel of Namur. A final decisive Sunday loop, offering a suspenseful final ever seen at the Rallye de Wallonie: between Freddy Loix and Cédric Cherain.
A fantastic sport that outcome, a few minutes later was swept by a backhand after a late tally of the fastest crew in stage, Loix-Gitsels and discussions, meetings, claims that followed for far too long hours.
Following confirmation by the Race Direction, the penalty of 20 seconds that were inflicted at the crew Loix-Gitsels for late tally at the return to Jambes, the crew had laid complaint against that decision referring it to the final fourth rank. Initially denied, this claim was eventually partially heard by the panel of the RACB stewards which, to allow to permanently close the 32nd edition of the Rallye de Wallonie, then proposed to the Skoda crew to reduce the penalty of 20 seconds to 10 seconds. Proposal that was accepted by the duo Loix-Gitsels concluded its final proof in the 2nd row.
But the hero of the race was certainly Benoit Allart, still leading the race in the penultimate stage with his grandmother Skoda Fabia WRC and finally the fourth, also beaten by Xavier Bouche! A bad choice of tires in the rain and a few mistakes at the end of course probably due to pressure don't dimish the merits of Fastben that will console - a little - by being shown the best performer of the event. Knowledge of the events that occured on arrival, it really would have been better if the Marchois won, the story would have been more beautiful and clear!