24H motorcycle race Le Mans, France

age · Post by **age** » Jan 30th, '07, 22:10

baz-R wrote:gsxrage do you know brian from tintinhul (nr yeovil) with a white blade?
i know he goes there with phase one to help out in the pit or used to anyway

Is that Brian Bowden ?

I can't think of any other Brians

Age

divymarie · Post by **divymarie** » Jan 31st, '07, 12:40

I want to sail on the Thursday so I can be in Le Mans on the Friday and see my friends. I've lived in Le Mans for 9 years so I know quite a lot of people. Had an answer from hubby and he doesn't seem too pleased , said "as you like" !!! just hope my bike will make it !!! if you have any questions about things regarding France, the language etc... just ask your favorite frog !!!

how are you Sam by the way, how's the baby ?

divymarie · Post by **divymarie** » Feb 8th, '07, 13:19

have now booked my ticket. Will be leaving from Plymouth to roscoff on 19th April. Might stop in Rennes to see some friends, hope one will ride along with me to Le Mans. Staying at friends in Le Mans, back to Roscoff on 23rd to take the 15.30 Ferry. This will be my first time riding such a distance on my own. Praying it won't be raining though !! And no mechanical problems !!! Still no one interested ?

Jimbo · Post by **Jimbo** » Mar 19th, '07, 19:03

Is our ferry booked Age?

looking forward to this one..

Post by **TLS-Moose** » Mar 19th, '07, 21:19

I would love to be going, but unfortunately the person I was going with has pulled out, and my eldest son now has his Tae Kwon Do black-belt grading that week-end

age · Post by **age** » Mar 19th, '07, 21:43

Jimbo wrote:Is our ferry booked Age?

looking forward to this one..

errrrr not yet

we could swim

Scotty · Post by **Scotty** » Mar 23rd, '07, 00:31

Dudes, if going to watch, get a gang of you and sail from Porstmouth to Le Havre on Wednesday night, do the oversuit dance on the quayside Thursday morning and head off... we (Aching Nuts MCC) used to go along the North bank of the Seine estuary and over the suspension bridge at Tancarville but it's probably easier (and certainly more spectacular - at least if you don't suffer vertigo) to go over the newer Pont de Normandie now and pick up the cabbageway on the South side - head along there a way and then turn off right (South) for Pont Audemer, then continue as far as Bernay and stop at the child molester's café opposite the station for café et croissants (he was only alleged to be a kiddy fiddler, by one of our group, on account of his appearance). Then continue down the N-roads (the autoroute's probably finished now, but the trip on N-roads is part of the fun, it's only 140-odd miles from the port anyway) - go through Alençon and stop at the lay-by on the way out for those who require a fag break, then do the last 30 miles or so to Le Mans and arrive by lunchtime, head to the campsite and get the pick of the spots 'cos you're virtually the first ones there, set up, head off to the Carrefour for provisions, head back, chill, open the beers, cook something on the campfire (a good one is ready-cooked chicken garnished with garlic and wrapped in foil and stuck in the fire, plus tins of peas & carrots and new potatoes with the lids opened and sat on the edge of the fire - when the water boils it's all ready, serve and scoff - bon appetit! Oh yeah, a cheap bottle of wine each helps too) Then wander over and buy your ticket - probably four days of fun for less than the price of a day at MotoGP in rip-off Britain - and go into the circuit for a look round - Thursday is compulsory night practice and the first time you see it you'll be totally gobsmacked at the spectacle. Go and see some qualifying on Friday, then head out into the countryside for a ride - go out the back way through Arnage on the car circuit and head down through the excellent country roads to le Lude and places like that, then wander back, eat and get stuck into the beer for an almighty Friday night session on campsite and in the circuit, pit-lane walkabout, round the stalls and on the funfair - spare a thought if you can for the poor sods in the garages doing Friday night race prep until the early hours, been there, done that too.... On Saturday have a good wander about and get a good spot to see the start, then enjoy the fact that you can wander all over to watch the racing, then drift back towards pit-lane for the first of the stops, then repeat, drink more, eat, drink some more, do the funfair, concerts, insanity on the campsites, sleep, and wake up on Sunday morning to the sound of the bikes still hard at it. Get your act together and head in to try and find a leaderboard sheet to see who's still out there, watch some more, chill, see the end of the race, head back and strike camp, hopefully not finding that the local pikeys have plundered your tent in your absence (for god's sake chain helmets to bikes, if anyone has a car leave your leathers and boots in it, out of sight, and hang your bike keys round your neck on an old bootlace or a lanyard) Then head out of town in the mass Northbound exodus and marvel at the way the locals set up camp en masse along the roads to watch and wave at the bikes - the kids especially love it if you showboat a bit, but the gendarmerie don't

. Get back to the ferry (via aforementioned café) and enjoy the luxury of a hot shower for the first time in days, eat, sleep, and disembark the following morning into rubbish weather and congested roads full of homicidal idiots and begin planning the next trip on the way home...
This knowledge was gained as the trip was refined over a number of years, the most recent being in '96 - since then I've been on the other side of the paddock fence and 24 hour races have been a different story altogether... Jimbo, you were talking about riding to a race sometime weren't you?

age · Post by **age** » Mar 23rd, '07, 16:30

Bloody hell you do go on a bit !!!

Ever heard of paragraphs ?

Jimbo is on about riding to Osch in August !

Age

divymarie · Post by **divymarie** » Mar 23rd, '07, 19:47

cannot wait to go now !!! though still worried as I'll be riding on my own.
we'll have to get in touch at some point to meet on the circuit.

divymarie · Post by **divymarie** » Apr 30th, '07, 15:25

Had a great time though a bit lonely to ride on my own. Fantastic weather we had ! looked out for the dream team but couldn't find out where they were, didn't see the name on the program.