After making a very solid start to the season, championship frontrunner Charles Martin had to retire early from the Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine, giving Florian Bernardi the chance to cut his points lead considerably. The top two have the opportunity to open out a decisive gap over the rest of the field at the Critérium des Cévennes, the last-but-one leg of the 2012 Twingo R1 France Trophy campaign, though both Jeremie Serieys and Damien Defert will be out to upset their plans.

This is the first time that the Twingo R1 France Trophy has featured on the Critérium des Cévennes card, with many of the young Twingo Renaultsport R1 racers getting their first taste of the legendary French rally.

But for Charles Martin, Jean Jouines and Kevin Coste this weekend’s event is nothing new, the trio having all taken to the start line in Montpellier last year as part of their learning curve. Kevin Coste performed the best of three, taking second in the R1 class behind the eventual 2011 French Junior rally champion Nicolas Romiguiere.

This time around, however, Charles Martin has come not for experience but for valuable Twingo R1 France Trophy points. The leader in the standings, he will need to put his Morzine mishap behind him if he is to hold off the chasing Florian Bernardi, who took his first race win in the French Alps after a string of podium finishes.

Meanwhile, Jeremie Serieys, Damien Defert and Antoine Masse all need to win if they are to retain hopes of claiming the Twingo R2 Evo drive that comes with winning the national junior title.

With only 18 points to his name, Jean Jouines has no title ambitions to pursue although, like fellow local boy Jeremie Serieys, he is a serious contender for a place on the podium.

The up-and-coming quintet of Simon Lebiez, Jean-Charles Mougin, Gabriel Lieffroy, Mathias Wouters and Yohan Saillat have all earned top-ten finishes and are relishing another opportunity to show what they can do.

For Arnaud Genesca, Segolene Couturier, Francois Humeau, Loic Astier and William Pitot, meanwhile, the aim is to score their first points in a very select field.

This, the penultimate leg of the season, takes place over three days. After Thursday’s solitary stage from Montpellier to Ganges, the crews will compete in 12 special stages in the heart of Les Cévennes National Park, with the rally reaching its conclusion at Montpellier’s Odysseum on Saturday evening.

Extract from the rally regulations
The Twingo R1 France Trophy is open to drivers of all ages, though only those aged under 25 are eligible to win points for the French Junior Rally Championship, which was launched in partnership with the French Motorsports Federation (FFSA) in 2011 with a view to unearthing young drivers.

In line with the FIA system, points are awarded as follows: 1st place - 25 points; 2nd - 18; 3rd - 15; 4th - 12; 5th - 10; 6th - 8; 7th - 6; 8th - 4; 9th - 2; 10th - 1.

More than €200,000 has been awarded as prize money during the course of the season, nearly half of it in vouchers. Tyres are also presented to drivers in the top placings. The winner of each rally receives a cash prize of €2,500 plus €1,000 in vouchers and six tyres, with the top 15 drivers in each event all receiving prizes. The winner of the French Junior Rally Championship is also rewarded with a Twingo R2 Evo drive in eight legs of the 2013 French Rally Championship.

55e Critérium des Cévennes
Entrants
59. Charles Martin/Romain Devos
60. Florian Bernardi/Victor Bellotto
61. Jeremie Serieys/Justine Quillet
62. Damien Defert/Florent Diottin
63. Antoine Masse/Mathieu Favreau
64. Jean Jouines/Jean-Rene Villani
65. Simon Lebiez/Julie Lebiez
66. Kevin Coste/Loick Paitre
67. Jean-Charles Mougin/Jean-Stephane Mouchet
68. Gabriel Lieffroy/Laurine Ehrhardt
69. Mathias Wouters/Aline Gainet
70. Yohan Saillat/Gael Alquier
71. Arnaud Genesca/Thibault Janin
72. Segolene Couturier/Virginie Brunel
73. Francois Humeau/Christelle Pla
74. Loic Astier/Jean-Philippe Cadet
75. William Pitot/Alexis Estival

Schedule
Thursday 25 October
17.00: Start (Montpellier)
18.50: Finish (Ganges)
Friday 26 October
07.45: Start
08.30: Service park (Saint-Bauzille-de-Putois)
09.23: SS1 La Cadière – Sumène (12.76 km)
10.18: SS2 Taleyrac – Mandagout (9.35 km)
11.08: SS3 Le Vigan – Pommiers (21.21 km)
11.45: SS4 Mars – Aumessas (8.98 km)
15.56: Service park (Saint-Bauzille-de-Putois)
17.09: SS5 La Cadière – Sumène (12.76 km)
18.04: SS6 Taleyrac – Mandagout (9.35 km)
18.54: SS7 Le Vigan – Pommiers (21.21 km)
19.42: SS8 Mars – Aumessas (8.98 km)
20.57: Service park (Saint-Bauzille-de-Putois)
21.52: Parc fermé
Saturday 26 October
07.45: Start
07.55: Service park (Saint-Bauzille-de-Putois)
09.18: SS9 Soudorgues – C. du Mercou (7.20 km)
10.26: SS10 Tourgueille – ND de la Rou (42.02 km)
14.18: Service park (Saint-Bauzille-de-Putois)
15.41: SS11 Soudorgues – C. du Mercou (7.20 km)
16.49: SS12 Tourgueille – ND de la Rou (42.02 km)
19.11: Service park (Saint-Bauzille-de-Putois)
20.56: Finish (Montpellier Odysseum)