Edward (31) measures damage after Rallywagen drives in his vineyard: « The blow must have been huge » (Zonnebeke)

During the Rally of Wervik, the general rehearsal for the Ypres Rally within two weeks, things went wrong on Saturday. In the Houtemstraat in Zandvoorde, a rally car ended up next to the road after a faint bend and a few vines at Wijndomein Vandorpe mowed.

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« At first glance we are talking about 40 sticks that are damaged, » Edward Vandorpe measures the damage. “In addition, a few posts are also completely thrown out of the ground and pleated. Even the heaviest posts in the lead of each row have been completely mowed. The blow must have been huge and luckily no one was injured. About 150 meters further, a pole has also been completely drained. That means that all those plants have not had a serious shock in the tribe.”

2000 to 3000 bottles

« If a plant gets a firm shock, although that is only a second, fiber can break into the trunk, so that they are actually all damaged. It is therefore not that it will only stay with the plants that have been hit. At least 150 plants will have to be viewed and may not be removed. We have pruned and built up for four years.

Edward fears that a large part will be minimized by the insurer and he will have to pay for a lot of costs. « I just want to be reimbursed correctly and that there is an impact this has. I am entirely for rally sport and I have no problem with that. But it is intended that responsibility is taken. It should not be that I now have to struggle in the vineyard to straighten things out and I am the dupe.

« Extra painful »

For the first four years, wine would now be bottled for the first time. « The plants were harvested only once last year, and that makes it extra painful. But we have to accept it. Fortunately we are a family business and I can count on them to help come in these exceptional circumstances, » said Edward.