Rallye du Condroz-Huy 2008 Results: Pieter Tsjoen finally wins the event as Hubert Deferm is crowned Belgian Rally Champion

Pieter Tsjoen and Eddy Chevaillier claimed the 35th edition of the Rallye du Condroz-Huy in their Structo sponsored 07 Ford Focus WRC.

This was Tsjoen first victory on the Condroz and he managed to fend off the might of the Kronos team's challenge which ended in disaster. The Peugeot's of Loix and Vouilloz both led the event at one stage but they ended up crashing out in the slippy conditions, after Tsjoen was leading (Tsjoen took the lead on SS6).

Loix was the first Kronos car to crash on SS12, and it was a heavy one, though both crew members were uninjured thankfully. Vouilloz accident wasn't as severe, but it was enough to put the new IRC champion out of the event, the crash happened on a re-run of the stage that claimed Loix.

After the Kronos team had crashed out the way was clear for Tsjoen to cruise to a comfortable victory ahead of new Belgian champion Hubert Deferm in his Subaru WRC. Derferm had been behind Melissa Debackere coming into this the final round, but Debackere only finished fifth in her Corolla WRC which wasn't enough and Deferm took the title by one point.

Bernd Casier scored a creditable third for the Rene Georges team in the Polo, after news came through that VW Belgium were pulling their support for next year though the team will continue with the Polo.  Patrick Snijers was fourth in his 911 GT3 after suffering some punctures during the event, while Bertrand Grooten took Group N in his Subaru N14 just ahead of Gilles Schammel in a similar machine.

Retirements included: Bryan Bouffier, who was driving a Guy Colsul Group A Mitsubishi Evo 8 instead of the MEM Proton which he was originally planning to use. Seb Ogier retired his C2R2 Max, near the end, with a broken gearbox after a titanic battle with Bruno Thiry who was in a similar machine.

Videos of Condroz, the second clip features the Freddy Loix crash 

35. RALLYE DU CONDROZ-HUY RESULTS:

1. Pieter Tsjoen/Eddy Chevaillier (B) Ford Focus RS WRC 07 2:29.18,7
2. Hubert Deferm/John Lavaerts (B) Subaru Impreza WRC S10 +3.33,1
3. Bernd Casier/Frederic Miclotte (B) Volkswagen Polo 5 S2000-R +5.22,9
4. Patrick Snijers/Francis Delmelle (B) Subaru Impreza WRC S5 +5.38,6
5. Melissa Debackere/Francois Geerlandt (B) Toyota Corolla WRC +6.40,5
6. Bertrand Grooten/Jerome Monjoie (B) Subaru Impreza WRX STI N14 +11.27,5
7. Gilles Schammel/Renaud Jamoul (L/B) Subaru Impreza WRX STI N14 +11.45,1
8. Olivier Collard/Christian Dubois (B) Subaru Impreza WRX STI N12 +12.01,6
9. Dennis Kuipers/Kees Hagman (NL) Ford Focus RS WRC 06 +12.35,9
10. Stephane Lhonnay/Thierry Denis (B) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX +12.39,2

Belgian Rally Championship Final Standings:
1. Deferm 89, 2. Debackere 88, 3. Snijers 75, 4. Casier 61, Lhonnay 61, 6. Lietaer 44.

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