Avenging last year's disappointment when his team denied him the chance to challenge for the title on the final round, French driver Nicolas Vouilloz became unequivocal IRC champion on the penultimate round this year. He was leading the Rallye du Valais until the final stage when teammate Freddy Loix passed him to score a third victory in the series this year, but Vouilloz's second place was quite enough for his objectives. Vouilloz's only remaining title challenger Giandomenico Basso lost time earlier in the event with a puncture, and as Peugeot had already won the makes championship earlier, there is little chance the giants of the series will attend the final round, to be held in China.

Vouilloz moved into the lead on the first stage of day two, the 40-kilometre Les Cols stage. By winning this stage with an astonishing margin of 14 seconds thanks also to a clever tyre choice, the Frenchman took the rally lead and maintained it right up until the final afternoon. He lost a bit of time with a puncture on SS13, and then concentrated on ensuring a safe finish to guarantee his championship title during the final four stages. Loix, who set five fastest stage times over the course of the event, moved in front on SS15 and won the rally by 4.5 seconds after an entirely trouble-free run. The two Peugeot Belgium cars were in a league of their own, as the third-placed finisher, the recently-crowned European Champion Luca Rossetti (Peugeot Italy), was nearly a minute behind the leaders at the finish. Apart from an incorrect tyre choice on Thursday's three stages, the Italian encountered no problems throughout the three days of the rally. Behind him was Peugeot Poland driver Bryan Bouffier in fourth. Bouffier picked up a puncture on Saturday, but also enjoyed a clean drive to the finish.

Despite his relative lack of asphalt experience, Abarth's Anton Alen recorded his best-ever sealed-surface finish to claim sixth overall. Perhaps encouraged by a flying visit to the Rallye du Valais from his friend and reigning Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen, Alen did not put a foot wrong during all three days of the Swiss event. The final two points-scoring places were claimed by local man Gregoire Hotz (Peugeot), who set fastest time on SS14 and finished seventh, ahead of Peugeot Hungary's Janos Toth.

Umberto Scandola led at the end of the short first day, but retired when he damaged the suspension on a rock on Day 2. Also punctured Stuart Jones retired the MG Super 2000 with head gasket failure. Local hero Olivier Burri (Abarth) also stopped before SS6 with a mechanical problem.

There was drama in the IRC 2WD Cup, which is now set to go down to the wire on the final round in China. Fiat Punto Diesel driver Marco Cavigioli, who is currently second in the standings, thought that his chances were over following a suspension breakage and consequent retirement during the first loop of stages on Thursday. IRC 2WD Cup points leader Alessandro Bettega (Honda), who took the class lead from the start, seemed set for a win that would have given him the championship. But the Italian retired on the afternoon of the second day with a broken driveshaft, meaning that the two-wheel drive title race is still open. Bettega still leads Cavigioli by 18 points to 15. Local driver Joel Rappaz claimed the 2WD Cup honours in Switzerland, driving a Honda Civic.

3mmm
foto 1: Vouilloz - Peugeot
foto 2: Loix - Peugeot
foto 3: Alen - Fiat

Final classification
1 Loix/Buysmans       Peugeot 207 Super 2000    2h37m33.5s
2 Vouilloz/Klinger    Peugeot 207 Super 2000    2h37m38.0s
3 Rossetti/Chiarcossi Peugeot 207 Super 2000    2h38m27.4s
4 Bouffier/Panseri    Peugeot 207 Super 2000    2h39m03.8s
5 Basso/Dotta         Fiat Grande Abarth S2000  2h40m21.7s
6 Alen/Alanne         Fiat Grande Abarth S2000  2h40m57.8s
7 Hotz/Ravasi         Peugeot 207 Super 2000    2h41m57,8s
8 Toth/Tagai          Peugeot 207 Super 2000    2h43m49,4s