Moriféré Soumaoro Claims Victory at 32nd Pentecôte Rally in Aboisso
Moriféré Soumaoro, driving a Mitsubishi Evo X, clinched a hard-fought victory at the 32nd Pentecôte Rally held in Aboisso, Ivory Coast, on June 7 and 8. The event, the third round of the Ivorian Rally Championship, featured 243 kilometres of grueling special stages, testing the skills and endurance of all participants.
After an unlucky outing at the Rallye de 3 eaux in Grand Lahou just weeks prior, Soumaoro returned with determination and precision, edging out fierce competition to take the top spot. The rally concluded with a narrow 43-second margin separating Soumaoro from runner-up Marc Molinié, who piloted a Mitsubishi Evo 7.
Molinié had initially led the rally by 20 seconds after the first day’s seven special stages. However, Soumaoro’s resilience shone through during the second day’s six stages, enabling him to overcome a mechanical setback and seize the lead. Pascal Brossier, behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi Evo 9, secured third place, finishing just over eight minutes behind after rival Loïc Malherbe’s Subaru Impreza retired from the race.
The Pentecôte Rally was marked by challenging weather conditions, with heavy rain making the course more treacherous than usual. These difficult conditions took their toll, as eight of the 16 starting crews were forced to retire. Among the casualties was pre-race favourite Gary Chaynes, whose Mitsubishi Evo 9 suffered a broken crankcase after hitting a rock on the first day. Other notable retirements included Pierrick Atrault (Mitsubishi Evo 9), Loïc Malherbe (Subaru Impreza), Gilles Pulvéric (Peugeot 207 RC), Adama Cissé (Citroën Xsara), and Frédéric Nobou (Toyota Corolla), with the latter two competing in the two-wheel-drive category.
Kévin Ligonnet, returning after missing the Rallye de 3 eaux, delivered a strong performance to finish fourth in his Subaru Impreza N12B. Ligonnet is expected to compete next at the Terre de Cardabelles rally in France this October.
Rounding out the top five was Luc Jacquelin in a Mitsubishi Evo 6, followed by Cyril Bottari (Subaru Impreza), Thierry Pansolin (Mitsubishi Evo 6), and Williams Farhat (Nissan Pulsar).
Final standings for the 32nd Pentecôte Rally in Aboisso:
Moriféré Soumaoro – Philippe Garcia (Mitsubishi Evo 9) +8:16
Marc Molinié (Mitsubishi Evo 7) +0:43
Pascal Brossier (Mitsubishi Evo 9) +8:17
Kévin Ligonnet – Marie Dufils (Subaru Impreza N12B) +12:08
Luc Jacquelin – Virginie Jacquelin (Mitsubishi Evo 6) +13:32
Cyril Bottari – Benoit Chapalain (Subaru Impreza) +17:01
Thierry Pansolin – Robert Borg (Mitsubishi Evo 6) +19:07
Williams Farhat – Philippe Borg (Nissan Pulsar) +41:00
Soumaoro’s victory breaks a two-year win drought since his last triumph at the Bandama Rally in 2012 and marks a significant boost for his campaign in the national championship.
