Aysedasi's Le Mans

Le Mans 2003

The Tourists' Story

Well after wandering around the Porsche Curve area, I joined up again with the rest of the Tourists for the trip back to Le Cheval Blanc where we enjoyed the opportunity for a quick wash and brush up as well as a good meal and the odd glass of wine......

We've been using Le Cheval Blanc at Le Grand Luce now for many years - certainly I first went there in 1994 (if I recall correctly) and I think Chief Tourist Ian discovered the place the year before. This year I had a special gift for Madame - her own (and very definitely unique) Aysedasi's Le Mans 2003 t-shirt. Unique because it had an extra design on it just for Le Cheval Blanc! She seemed pleased with the little bit of PR from the Tourists anyway.....

After our meal, we piled back into the bus and took our now customary midnight(ish) trip out to the Mulsanne, where once again we tried to peer over the gates of the Restaurant des 24 Heures and Les Hunaudieres, but as in the previous couple of years the gendarmes were determined to prevent anyone from remaining there for long. They seem to have become very security-conscious indeed in recent years. We did manage to sneak in somewhere else, but I'm not about to tell you where.....

It was then back to the garage rouge and while the others went for a wander around the fairground, moved substantially now - for the first time since I've been going to Le Mans, I decided to head back to the pits grandstand for a sitdown and a spot of photography.

I spent quite a long time there, in the hope that being that little bit closer to the cars than usual would enable my flashgun to be brought into play. Unfortunately in most of the shots it stilled proved not to be man enough for the task.

But it was still a great place to watch from. And after so many years, it was good to be watching the race at night from somewhere I hadn't been able to get to before (thanks again, Fab!). In years past, I used to walk the circuit a great deal at night, often the entire stretch from as far as you can go at Tertre Rouge to the Porsche Curves, at least once, stopping wherever I fancied to set up my tripod. These days though, my poor old feet don't quite take the strain as they used to!

I was also able to wander along the "promenades" at the back of the grandstand and watch the activity down below. Amongst other things, I saw the abandoned 91 TVR looking very sad and forlorn, waiting to be loaded onto the team truck.

I finally quit the grandstand at about 3 am, determined to do a spot more walking and made my way all the way down to Tertre Rouge, under the underpass and back up again to what used to be the little hillock at the bottom of the stretch between the Dunlop Bridge and the Esses.

Of course, the view from there has changed enormously since last year's circuit alterations. I still prefer the circuit as it used to be and thoroughly deplore the fact that the change was made not for the cars, but for motorbikes.....

So after spending half an hour or so at the bottom of the hill (a nice relaxing place to watch during the night), it was a case of wending my merry (or should that be "weary") way back up towards the garages.

If you look at last year's (2002) story, you'll see that I took a few shots from the outside of the Dunlop Curve with the big wheel as a backdrop. This year I thought I'd have another go. You can see the results above.

The amateur photographer at Le Mans really has to use his or her initiative. Any professionals out there reading this will have to forgive me for saying so, but they really have it easy. Access to all the good spots with all the right gear and no fencing in the way. Child's play. But if you have to use your initiative I think it leaves you feeling just that little bit more pleased with yourself when you get a reasonable shot. I'm not saying these are great shots at all, but I like them and I think they generally work quite well.

Back in 1998, I took what was perhaps the best photo I've ever taken at Le Mans. My Toyota GT-One, of course. (You can see it in my logo). I've been trying to recreate that image (or something similar) ever since. I don't think the Pesca Courage gets anywhere near, but, as I said before, I think it does just work. I'll keep trying anyway, perhaps 2004......

During all this wandering, I had of course been hoping to keep up to date with the happenings in the race via Radio Le Mans. Good plan, eh?

In 2002 I'd bought myself a new pocket radio and I'd kitted that out with fresh batteries and new earphones for 2003. Unfortunately, however, I had been foolish enough to allow my son James to borrow it several times during the year..... The end result was that when I went to use it for the first time in the pits grandstand earlier in the day, although it was working, I could barely hear it on full volume.

I was not pleased. I've become used to the company of RLM during the night, and its just so important for finding out what's going on out on the track. (Note for self for 2004 Le Mans - buy new radio......!).

The early morning saw me feeling really quite tired. OK, I hadn't slept, but I didn't feel tired through lack of sleep as such, more because my 46 year old legs wee beginning to cry "enough"....

It's not just tiredness in the physical sense either. I'm sure I've commented before on that early Sunday morning feeling at Le Mans. I just love the night so much - its one of the things I really go to Le Mans for - and when I know its over for another year, the Le Mans experience begins to wind down for me.

I was due to meet up with those Tourists who had chosen to return at around 8 am, so it was time to load up on the caffeine. In fact, I did do quite a bit more walking, particularly down through the Village. Its an interesting place to wander in the early hours of the morning.

Right on cue, the Tourists returned to the circuit. Not all of them, of course - there were still sleepy-heads back at Le Cheval Blanc for whom a lay-in was more important - but, if I recall correctly, Ian, Robert and Paul came back.

Instead of heading straight back to Le Grand Luce I was delighted when Ian said he was determined to go and find the viewing area at the Porsche Curves. I'd been there before - at the Classic the previous year - but this was a first for the others.

Its another good place to watch from and although there is still plenty of fencing, it seems less intrusive than in other places. There are also a couple of spots where you can actually avoid the fencing completely - and there aren't many of those around the official spectator areas at Le Mans!

So it was back to Le Cheval Blanc for a change of clothes, a wash and a spot of breakfast, before the Tourists were sufficiently roused to pose for the usual team picture with Madame in the car park.

After this, it was back to the circuit to catch up with the news (actually we did that with Radio Le Mans on the way), before heading out to Arnage and Indianapolis.

These days, we have a tendency to spend quite a long time around lunchtime at Arnage/Indianapolis. The biggest problem is - so do an awful lot of other people! So much so that there are now two overflow car parks situated quite a long way away from the corner. I normally don't mind a walk at all, but at lunchtime on Sunday, having had no sleep since the Friday night, that walk is an absolute killer!

We took lunch at the usual excellent eaterie at Arnage, before heading back to the circuit for the final hour or two. As we all know, it had become a Bentley benefit by that time, with Kristensen, Capello and Smith edging out their sister car. Kristensen registering an incredible fourth consecutive win.

At the conclusion of the race we headed off in the van, breaking the journey for a drink in a very pretty place that I was just too tired to register the name of! Before long, we were back at Le Gue du Holme (which had been our post-race recovery spot for the previous two years). So it was here that the most wonderful bath of the year was enjoyed.......!

The food at Le Gue is excellent, although the service is just a little stuffy - but hey, when I have a plate of foie gras in front of me, you don't see me complaining!

On Sunday we gradually meandered our way back up towards Cherbourg, getting slightly lost in the country lanes before taking a very nice lunch at St. Vaast la Hougue - my first trip back there since 1995. As it had been over the whole weekend (apart from that couple of hours at lunchtime on Saturday), the weather was glorious and it was wonderful to bask outside in the sunshine and enjoy a(nother) nice meal. (Who said the Tourists only go to Le Mans to eat and drink..... ;-)

After a spot of shopping at Cherbourg it was back to Portsmouth on the ferry.

This was a very good Le Mans trip, well up there with the best of my previous 17 trips. As always, good company, great weather and a good result to the race for us Brits (even if I would have preferred the 8 Bentley to win - at least it wasn't a darned Audi victory!).

After the race, my Radio Le Mans pal Paul Truswel was kind enough to send me an RLM polo shirt and another RLM sweatshirt which had been signed by Gunner Jeannette, Oliver Gavin, Kelly Collins, Thomas Enge, Darren Turner, Anthony Davidson, Terry Borcheller, Robin Liddelll, Butch Leitzinger, Shane Lewis and Johnny Mowlem. Needless to say, I was very pleased indeed and hope that we will again have the pleasure of inviting Pual to dine with us on the Friday at Le Mans in 2004.

Speaking of which, bring it on with all speed.....!