The 2009 Rallye Monte Carlo will benefit from a total of four hours of live television coverage, Eurosport Events - the promoter of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge - announced today.
The Monte, which is one of oldest and most prestigious rallies in the sport, will form the first round of next year's Intercontinental Rally Challenge from January 20-24, after it was dropped from the World Rally Championship under the new rotation plan.
The live coverage of the 77th edition of the Monte on
Eurosport will utilise 'a mixture of aerial shots, on board footage and land-based cameras'.
It will also include special coverage of the Col de Turini stages, which will mark the climax of the rally on its final night and again be run in the dark.
"The unprecedented live action from the stages, combined with regular highlights each evening, will bring television viewers closer to the Monte Carlo Rally than they have ever been before, with an unmatched perspective from both inside and outside the cars," read a statement to the press.
"Thanks to this exciting and innovative production plan, which has never been done to this extent on rallies before, viewers will be able to live the legend and experience the drama of the Monte Carlo Rally," added Géraldine Filiol, managing director of Eurosport Events.
"We are naturally delighted to open the IRC and the 2009 European motorsport season with the Monte Carlo Rally – which will include the epic Turini stages run at night again – and I am sure that our ambitious plans are worthy of a mythical motorsport event like this.
"Our live footage from the stages themselves will mark an exciting new departure not only for the IRC, but for the way that the sport of rallying is broadcast as a whole."
The provisional broadcasting plan for 2009 IRC Monte Carlo Rally is as follows:
Wednesday 21 January
16:45-17:40 Live stage SS3: St Jean en Royans-Col de Gaudissart
00:00-00:15 Highlights of the 1st day
Thursday 22 January
11:00-11:30 Live stage SS5: St Bonnet-St Bonnet
16:00-16:30 Live stage SS8: St Bonnet-St Bonnet
00:00-00:15 Highlights of the 2nd day
Friday 23 January
