Presentation

The Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) and Eurosport Events, promoter of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, are pleased to announce that the Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo, will, for the second year running, be the opening event of the 2010 IRC season.

Now that the Monte Carlo Rally is no longer within the World Championship series, its organisers have decided to remain with the IRC for next season.

As Rene Isoart, General Commissioner of the ACM, said, "The Monte Carlo Rally is staying with the IRC because we have found within this series all the necessary ingredients to allow the Rally to return to the fundamental values of the sport".

Geraldine Filiol, Director General of Eurosport Events announced, "We are very proud to again extend a warm welcome from the IRC to the Monte Carlo Rally and to continue our fruitful collaboration with the ACM. As with the 2009 rally, we are planning wide-ranging coverage of the event with live TV broadcasts of the specials offering viewers a unique coverage of this prestigious event".

There will be several improvements to this 78th edition of the Rally, to enhance the opening leg of the 2010 IRC, which this year will be centred in Valence, capital of the department of Drome, in the Valentinois region.

• Reconnaissance will take place on Saturday 16th and Monday 18th January, allowing contestants to complete the rally in one week.
• Administrative checks will take place on Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th in Valence.
• The departure ceremony will be celebrated on Tuesday 19th at 5 pm, in the Champ de Mars, in Valence.
• A 9-km "Selection" stage will be run on Tuesday 19th, between Lente, Col de l'Echarasson and Col de Gaudissart, to determine the starting order for the rally.
• The roads of Ardeche will once more be in the spotlight, on Wednesday 20th January, with "Burzet - Lachamp Raphael" and "St-Pierreville - Antraigues" run twice (with stops to change tyres in Vals les Bains) and on Thursday 21^st January in the northern part of the department with "Labatie d'Andaure - St-Pierre sur Doux" and "Lamastre - Alboussiere". Last but by no means least, the department of Haute-Loire will also be visited, for the famous "Saint-Bonnet - Saint-Bonnet" stage, which will be run twice by the teams, with a stop in-between in the Service Park in Valence..
• Besides the usual S2000, Class N and Class A cars a new class will be a authorised to compete: the GT series class.

Furthermore, competitors' fees will remain fixed at 2009 prices: € 3000 for an amateur team, and competitors will be free to choose their tyres and petrol.

The 78th Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo will benefit from great international media coverage, with live broadcasts on Eurosport, Eurosport 2 and Eurosport Asia-Pacific, reaching nearly 70 countries.