2011 Ypres Rally
The Geko Ypres Rally 2011 was held from June 25 at Ypres in West Flanders of 23. The rally was the third round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2011 and was also among the European Rally Championship and the Belgian Rally Championship.
Background
The Geko Ypres Rally led by paved rural roads near Ypres in West Flanders. The event with the shake down was opened on June 23. For 24 June, the first six special stages were on the program. On June 25, as the last day of the rally was followed by a further twelve stages. A total of 18 stages over 287.89 timed kilometers were held. The total distance including liaison stages was 649.87 km.
The rally had a strong field of riders occupied. 116 teams were registered, including 28 Super 2000 cars in the rating of the IRC. As the biggest favorite to win the Belgian Freddy Loix was, the previously decided the rally six times for themselves. Among other things, the German Felix Herbold made his debut at a run of the IRC. The Championship leader Juho Hänninen, however, paused at the Geko Ypres Rally.
Course
Already at the Shake down the Škoda factory driver Jan Kopecký had a serious accident. Since then a broken collarbone was found in his co-driver Petr Stary, the team decided not to start.
In WP1 Thierry Neuville had to park his vehicle with a damaged suspension. Also for Andreas Mikkelsen, the rally was already gone, after he had put his vehicle into a ditch. The Škoda Freddy Loix pilot, however, put at his home in front of a fast pace. He managed to get away from Guy Wilks, his closest rival, with best times ever. On the first day Loix won all six stages and had end of the day will have an advantage of 36.7 seconds Wilks. To the third place Pieter Tsjoen and Bryan Bouffier delivered a tight duel, but both already had on the top of almost one minute behind.
On the second day Freddy Loix easily controlled his advantage. Meanwhile, Guy Wilks lost on a wet runway further ground. A setback suffered Wilks on WP10, as threw him back two punctures up to tenth. This Bryan Bouffier moved up to second place, but already had too much residue to jeopardize the victory of Loix still can. In WP11 was previously third-ranked Pieter Tsjoen thrown out of the rally, as his Peugeot lost coolant. To the third place now fought Hans Weijs junior and Bernd Casier. In WP15, however Casier had to give up with problems at the power steering his Škoda. The Andreas relaunched after SupeRally Regulations on the second day Mikkelsen drove towards the end of the rally a few best times, played in the overall standings but no longer significant.
Finally, Freddy Loix won with 1:41,6 minutes ahead of Bryan Bouffier. Bouffier however, was disqualified due to not homologated parts in the steering his Peugeot. All participants initially placed behind him moved thereby to a place. Second was thus Hans Weijs junior with 3:56,9 minutes behind Loix. Behind the third-placed Michał Sołowow followed Guy Wilks, who vorarbeitete with a comeback until fourth place. Felix Herbold ended the rally to number 21 in the ranking of the IRC after he was thrown back by two punctures. A total of 55 vehicles were counted, of which 54 in the ranking of the IRC. With his victory Loix took the lead in the championship.