he seventh edition of the Rallye du Picodon was stopped after the cars reached the park of attendance in the small town of Dieulefit, at the end of the fourth special stage, in consequence of a fatal accident that resulted in the deaths of two competitors, Stéphane Fazio and Robert Gioitta.
The accident occurred on the second day of the rally, Sunday, 16 September 2001 morning, during the third special stage, near the small village of Truinas, department of Drôme, France. The Renault 5 Turbo #10 driven by Fazio went out of control and left the road, crashing into an embankment. The car caught fire and its two occupants were trapped in the cockpit. Fazio and his co-driver Gioitta were burned to death.
Both of them were reported to be from Gap, department of Hautes-Alpes, southeastern France.
More than 150 cars took part to the Rallye du Picodon, then a round of the 2001 French Rally Cup.
R.I.P
