Réhane Gany and co-driver Souka Zaneguy lead the 57th Tour Auto de La Réunion after Friday’s opening stage, posting a combined time of 22:29.83 across three technical special stages on the island’s demanding roads. Eighty crews remain in contention, and by day’s end, Gany’s Volkswagen Polo GTI had proven the class of the field.
The day’s results were not without nuance. Gany finished second in the “Trois Bancs” special stage, behind Damien Dorseuil. What changed his standing was his dominance in the “Petite France” sections, where precision and car control separate the competitive from the merely quick. He clocked 9:49.79 in “Petite France 1,” ahead of Nazim Bangui and Jonathan Laup, then repeated the result in “Petite France 2,” again edging out Laup, who remained a consistent threat across the full day.
Jonathan Laup and co-driver Jean-François Law Man Too sit second overall at 22:52.78. Nazim Bangui and Léa Sam Caw Frève are third at 22:57.15. The gap between first and third is under 28 seconds, which means Saturday’s stages will matter considerably.
Saturday pushes the field eastward across La Réunion. The “Radiers” special stage opens at 10:50, followed by “Cambourg” at 11:55 and “les Arums” at 12:40. Crews will run a second pass through all three stages in early afternoon before heading south toward the Port of Saint-Pierre. Sunday’s closing leg features “Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix” and “Montée Panon,” where final standings will be settled.
The event also serves as the ninth round of the French Rally Championship 2nd Division, adding a layer of external stakes to the island competition. Safety operations are extensive. The ASAR (Association sportive automobile de La Réunion), acting under the authority of the Ligue de sport automobile de La Réunion, has deployed on-board cameras in competing vehicles, installed inflatable barriers along stages, placed surveillance equipment at key points, and designated strict spectator zones. The measures reflect the scale of managing a multi-day rally across populated municipalities.
The route spans Saint-Denis, Saint-Benoît, Saint-Paul, Trois Bassins, and Saint-Pierre, restoring several historically significant special stages to the competition calendar. Traffic restrictions were active Friday evening, with disruptions in Saint-Denis through 18:00 and in Saint-Paul extending to 23:30.
Whether Laup or Bangui can close the gap on Saturday, or whether Gany’s Polo GTI simply has too much pace for the remaining stages, is the question the field heads into the weekend carrying.