THE STORY OF 2009
The start in Annecy was well received in the previous edition, and in 2009, the Tulpenrallye returned to Annecy for the start of the 56th edition. The Impérial Palace Hotel on the shores of the lake was once again the starting location, where the 189 teams gathered for the traditional cocktail party on Sunday afternoon.
The Ardèche region was extensively explored in previous editions by route planners Brugmans and Daamen, and to enjoy a beautiful route there, the rally stayed overnight in Vals-les-Bains on Monday. The Alps are visited less this year, and the Jura region not at all, with the rally staying more in the central part of France. The characteristic town of Vichy was visited for the first time in the history of the Tulpenrallye, and from there, the route continued on day three towards Beaune. On the fourth day, the rally returned to the Vosges mountains, and after years of searching for a suitable location in the Nancy/Metz region, Pont-a-Mousson was ultimately chosen, situated roughly halfway between these two cities. The Abbaye de Premontre (a large monastery) provided ample space for a very atmospheric dinner. The city had limited hotel space, but ultimately, all participants found accommodations in the larger region. The route planners wanted to stay outside the Netherlands for as long as possible, hence the decision to overnight in Genk (Résidence Stiemerheide) on Friday evening. The final stage was on Saturday towards Noordwijk.
The atmosphere in the rally caravan was excellent. The roads consisted mostly of mountainous stretches, and the weather improved every day.
Rinus Sinke and Bart den Hartog continued to lead in the Expert class. They realized that the Tulpenrallye had never been won by an Austin Healey, which added significant pressure. The competition in the Expert class remained extremely intense. However, Rinus Sinke, in his 15th participation in the Tulpenrallye, won the 56th edition of the event, marking the first victory for the beautiful English sports car built by Donald Healey in the event’s history.
At the finish on Saturday afternoon, several thousand spectators were present. At the closing dinner at Grand Hotel ‘Huis ter Duin’, there was a wonderful atmosphere, and the 700 guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Around eleven o’clock in the evening, Sinke and Den Hartog drove the winning Austin Healey into the Pickézaal of Grand Hotel ‘Huis ter Duin’ to the tune of ‘Simply the Best’, receiving a standing ovation.
