Five-time French champion Yoann Bonato leads the way with a large lead halfway through the Rallye Antibes Côte d'Azur

In an ideal world, they would all be there. Everyone would be there, wheel in hand, to celebrate the anniversary of the beloved Antibes Côte d'Azur Rally, which is reaching its sixtieth anniversary.

This Saturday morning, at the start of episode 3 of the French championship, at the foot of the podium planted on the esplanade of Pré des Pêcheurs, between the old town and Port Vauban, we thought of them.

Them? The too many regional drivers missing from the stage, mostly due to lack of resources. Absentees who would so much prefer not to be wrong. Members of the winners' list, such as Nicolas Ciamin (2021), who found refuge at the last minute on the FFSA-GT circuits in the spring, or Anthony Puppo (2017). Regular stars of the 2024 "CFR" season, Anthony Fotia, Jean-Baptiste Franceschi, also forced to bite their lip on the sidelines, with a heavy heart...

If there's only one left? Eric Camilli, of course! Untouchable at home last year, the Nice player, once again on his way to winning his first French crown, is aiming for nothing less than a second win as soon as the game begins.

"We really had to spit in our hands."

Twelve months ago, he sounded the charge and widened the gap from the start, right from the start of the first loop in Villars-sur-Var. A repeat performance? Yes... and no. At the noon bell, the local boy's Hyundai i20 N was firmly in the lead. It was in the lead with a 5.5 second margin over the Citroën C3 of rival number one, Yoann Bonato.

"We really had to spit in our hands to take the lead," said Camilli, satisfied with the small nest egg he had built up at the lunch stop in Cagnes-sur-Mer. "On the Col de Bleine (SS 2, editor's note) , I improved the record by around ten seconds despite weak brakes at the end. Even if the gap is tiny, it's better to be in front. But the hardest part remains to be done."

Indeed! While the sun beats down on the racetrack, up there, as expected, the clouds are gathering. Will it rain? Will it not rain? The choice of tires is becoming a headache. Camilli is banking on the status quo by taking four "hard" tires, while Bonato is focusing on the arrival of the rain by mixing "soft" and "super soft."

"It's the old man who had a good nose."

There will inevitably be one disappointed rider. It will be Camilli. Just before the second pass, the sky opens its floodgates. And the Bleine (SS 5) puts on its justice of the peace outfit. A few patches of fog on either side of the summit, "abominable" water flows on the descent: the poorly shod leader has to be content to survive. In Aiglun, at the end of hell, the bill is steep: 43 seconds lost in the space of 25 kilometers! And a little further on, Toudon (SS 6, 22.2 km) delivers another blow: 23.8 seconds lost.

"We didn't have the same race as Yoann, it's a shame to miss out like that," sighs the unfortunate hero, second but now relegated to more than a minute (1'09''2). A chasm.

"Once again, it's the old man who had a good nose," sums up Hugo Margaillan (Hyundai), the Var neighbour who experienced more or less the same mishap, 4th at 1'31''8.

Yoann Bonato, the French champion, is chasing a third victory in Antibes - after 2022 and 2023 - and can therefore engage management mode. While there are six stages left to tackle this Sunday, including His Majesty Turini (SS8 and 11), the playful frog from the high country should refrain from reshuffling the cards.