Tulpenrallye 2013

The story of 2013: The organisers wanted, just as in 2003 for the 50th edition, to put on another fine event with a number of new ingredients. That year had seen the first start abroad (Aix-les-Bains), and it proved such a success that the idea was not confined to the 50th anniversary edition but was expanded upon with great success in the years that followed. The Committee that governs the Tulpenrallye held a long meeting at the Bergpaviljoen in Amersfoort and finally settled on a radically different concept. After 19 editions of the International Historic Tulpenrallye finishing in Noordwijk, the 2024 edition would not finish in Noordwijk but abroad. The start did take place in Noordwijk (something that had not happened for 10 years), but the finish was planned at one of the most striking places in the country where the Tulpenrallye has covered the most kilometres: the Cote d'Azur. The 5-star hotel Palais de la Mediterranée on the Boulevard des Anglais in Nice was booked for the finish and the gala prize-giving. Frank Pauli became the new chairman of the organising committee and of the Stichting Tulpenrallye. Frank had been part of the organisation for 27 years and had concerned himself above all with the communications and the commercial side of the event. He took over the role from Abe van den Brink, who remained part of the organisation and stayed on as clerk of the course of the Tulpenrallye. Organising this remarkable route threw up a good many challenges, but in the end every one of them was overcome. The more than 225 (!) competing crews — the entry was full immediately once again — gathered this time on the Saturday in Noordwijk and drove a Prologue that day, starting from the Tulpenrallye Sprint on the boulevard in Noordwijk, which also included, among other things, a test at Slotemaker's skid school at the Circuit van Zandvoort. The PartnerRallye was run on this day as well, for the sponsors' guests, with a fine route through the northern tip of Noord-Holland (where at that moment more tulips were in bloom than in the bulb-growing region). On the Saturday evening there was an anniversary dinner in the Pickézaal of the Grand Hotel "Huis ter Duin", where notable competitors from the history of the Tulpenrallye, such as Count Hugo van Zuylen van Nijevelt, Bert Dolk and Renger Guliker, told their stories. 740 people attended the dinner. The celebration was complete that evening when Johnny and the Gangster of Love drove their Cadillac into the halls of "Huis ter Duin" and gave a sparkling performance. The start took place early on the Sunday morning (07:01) and a long route lay ahead for the day, with a considerable stretch on the Dutch motorways. At Breda the motorway was left behind and the navigation sections began. By way of lunch near Genk, the crews were already in Mondorf-les-Bains in Luxembourg that evening. On the Monday the crews drove to Horbourg-Wihr in the French Vosges, and on the Tuesday evening dinner was in Bourg-en-Bresse, where the traditional Bresse chicken was served in a large marquee on the grounds of the rugby club. The Tuesday route was the longest of this edition; the crews spent more than 11 hours in the car. For the competitors in the Expert class it was longer still, since they also drove the evening leg that day. On the Wednesday the route led to Grenoble. Laying out the route for the Thursday and Friday was quite a challenge. A magnificent rally region, the beautiful Route Napoleon, but hardly a hotel to be found. After studying various options, the choice fell on a very fine route for the Thursday, running largely along the Route Napoleon and through a number of ski areas. The Crêt de Chatillon (1,699 metres) was the highest point of this Tulpenrallye, and at the end of the day the crews could already see the Mediterranean from the car. The finish that evening was in the French tech region at Sophia-Antipolis. As the crow flies, that lies quite close to the finish in Nice. But there was another very fine route to be driven on the Friday. It took the crews to one of the most characteristic rally locations in Europe: the summit of the Col de Turini (1,674 metres), where the "night of the long knives" is run during the Monte Carlo Rally. For the Expert competitors a demanding regularity test had been laid out at the top of the Col de Turini, and it was there that the classification would ultimately be decided. After lunch the crews came back down the Col de Turini and then drove the course of the Formula 1 street circuit in Monaco. From there they made their way to Nice, where the finish had been arranged on the boulevard along the Mediterranean. First there was a party at Lido Plage on the beach, after which the crews changed for the gala prize-giving at the Palais de la Mediterranée. Outside the hotel stood a large lorry from the Netherlands carrying the evening dress of all the guests, since most competitors could not carry it in the rally car. The leading competitors included Robert Verweij / Maarten Verweij, Maarten van Lith / Peter van Hoof, Renger Guliker / Pim 't Hart, Michel Perridon / Maurits Verhoeff, Susanne and Bart Tonino, Rinus Sinke / Bart den Hartog, Harm Lamberigts / Peter Rovers, Paul Zweers / Arjan van der Palen, Leo Vrijland / Bas de Rijk and Koen Bender / Willem van Leeuwen. The battle for the Coupe Rallye des Tulipes was exceptionally close this year. On the Thursday evening Vrijland / de Rijk led, but the margin over Bender / van Leeuwen was less than 1 control. Vrijland / de Rijk missed a control on the last leg on the Friday, and so the regularity test on the Col de Turini had to bring the decision. The average was set at 40 kph and it was distinctly foggy. The tripmeter cable in Koen Bender's MG gave up during that test and they carried on without the use of that instrument. In the end that was enough for them not to let the victory slip. The crew of Koen Bender and Willem van Leeuwen, in a 1959 MG A Twincam, won the 60th edition of the Tulpenrallye. The very first victory for an MG in the Tulpenrallye! Leo Vrijland / Bas de Rijk (2nd), and Paul Zweers / Arjan van der Palen (3rd) as well, followed at less than one control. The Sport class was won, surprisingly, by Jerry and Anita Perquin. Michiel Hehenkamp and Ron Nakken produced a quite exceptional performance by winning the Touring class with the Vintage Bentley. Marcel Geurts and Alfons Geurts won the Vintage class in thoroughly convincing fashion. That evening, during the gala dinner at the Palais de la Méditerranée, the prize-winners in the various classes were announced and honoured. The "Huis ter Duin" tradition was maintained at the finish in Nice as well. The winning car of Bender / van Leeuwen was brought into the dining hall too. On the orders of the Nice fire brigade the car was not allowed to drive in under its own power and could only be pushed. And so a fine adventure came to an end. The competitors had thoroughly enjoyed it, but also let it be known that at the next edition they would like to finish in Noordwijk again.