Monte tweaks route for centenary

The 19-21 January 2011 event, the opening round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, has been tweaked as the Automobile Club de Monaco celebrates the rally's centenary.

The route will be 43 miles shorter, running to 208 rather than 2010's 251 competitive miles. As usual, the rally will run out of Valence, starting on the Wednesday. The next day starts and finishes in Valence, while Friday morning starts in Valence and ends in Monaco in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Rene Isoart, the general commissioner if the ACM, said: "The route for the centenary rally was put together from historical routes. Professional, knowledgeable amateurs and rally fans will have often heard of these legendary locations."

The event will run in the Ardeche, Drome, Hatue-Loire, Alpes de Hautes Provence, Hautes Alpes and, of course, Alpes Maritimes regions.

The opening day of action includes a return of the Le Moulinon-Antraigues stage; a lengthened Burzet test (running to St Martial rather than Lachamp Raphael) and St Bonnet-St Bonnet, which will be run twice. The day two Drome route, which is considerably shorter than this year, is: St Jean en Royans and Vassieux cemetery-Col de Gaudissart. The final run out of Valence includes the Montauban sur l'Ouveze-Eygalayes on the way down to Monaco.

There are changes to the Turini stage, which runs in its more traditional form starting from Moulinet rather than Peira Cava - after the work on the road out of Sospel were completed. This means a different approach to the Turini and the inclusion of the famous hairpin bends on the D2566 just south of the Col de Turini itself.

Between the Turini and Lantosque stages, the cars will return to Monaco for service just before midnight. The event will finish officially, outside the Palace in Monaco, mid-morning on Saturday.