Aysedasi's Le Mans

Le Mans 2009 - The Tourists' Story - Page 10a

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By the time we got back to Le Cheval Blanc it was still only just getting on for 9am and I was pretty surprised to see quite a few of the Tourists up eating breakfast.  I confess I probably wasn't great company - I was very tired as well as being hot and sweaty and I just didn't feel up to very much early-morning small-talk.  To be honest, I just wanted to throw back a coffee and get back to the circuit as soon as possible   Even though the majority there hadn't seen a racing wheel turn in anger for about 14 hours, there seemed to be remarkably little enthusiasm to get back and watch some racing.  We didn't even have our customary team picture in the car park, which felt rather strange, almost as if that tradition somehow died with Madame's departure.  In a sense, it seemed to sum up a disappointing end to our stay at Le Grand Lucé in 2009. 

We managed to drag everyone back to the cars by 10 am and headed off to Arnage as usual, where we parked easily thanks to the extra car park tickets I purchased in advance. 

The race was now in Peugeot's pocket and a (very) few spots of rain added to the air of resignation I felt.  We had lunch at Arnage, but somehow I ended up with what looked to be an andouillette sausage instead of my desired merguez which did little for my humour and the thought that Le Mans would soon be over for another year just about polished me off - some things just don't change! 

It was soon time to depart, sadly, no opportunity being taken to go back to the garages this year (as we did last).  I was very happy for the French - they were cock-a-hoop of course with the Peugeot victory and both they and the team thoroughly deserved it.  To be quite truthful, I was just relieved that Audi hadn't steam-rollered yet another victory.  I've nothing against Audi, but the same team winning every year isn't my idea of entertainment, nor is it good for the sport, in my opinion. 

We left the circuit then from Arnage and I resigned myself to sleep almost immediately.  By the time I awoke, we were already nearing Cancale, once again our overnight stop, a fact that finally offered me good cheer again.  I can't help it - I just love Cancale!  I shared a room again with Ian and made a bee-line for the shower, which was badly needed!  I emerged feeling human once more, and ready for what I hoped would be the meal of the weekend!  Suitably refreshed it was out to the front of the Hotel Continental to look upon that familiar view and to enjoy a beer before dinner. 

And after the disappointment of the meal at Le Grand Lucé on Saturday night, a superb dinner it was too, with foie gras followed by properly prepared and cooked St. Pierre and then a dish of apples in custard with calvados (no doubt with some fancy name....) - absolutely wonderful!

It was as dinner drew to a close that the conversation moved on to the arrangements for the 2010 trip.  Occasionally we've discussed these over the evening meal or on the ferry home, but there was clearly an 'edge' to the conversation this year, from which it became clear that those with less interest in the race itself and who didn't want to spend so much time at the circuit perhaps wished to have greater influence over the weekend's itinerary.  Although we tentatively agreed to perhaps going over a day earlier - something which I've always been in favour of - it seemed to me that Friday's pits walkabout was facing the axe.  As well as this, it was obvious that 2009 was going to be the last year when I could expect to be brought back to the circuit after dinner and picked up again in the morning.  Although, to be fair, I could fully appreciate the discussion about that.

But I guess it was around this moment that I began to realise that 2009 might be my last as a Tourist - for the time being, at least.  As the only really serious Le Mans race afficionado at the table, I was definitely feeling in a minority of one and that together with my rapidly returning fatigue left me wanting to get to bed as soon as possible.  But there was suddenly now a lot to think about. 

There was no rush at all to get up on Monday morning so I stayed in bed until 9am, when I decided that enough was enough and took another shower before heading down for breakfast, another familiar joy at this, my favourite hotel. 

We finally departed lovely Cancale at 11 am and with so much of the day already gone, it seemed that old Tourist habits die hard, and the first consideration was to find a restaurant for lunch.....Port en Bessin and the Hotel Restaurant de la Marine was the easy and familiar choice and coquille followed by julienne and tarte aux myrtilles really hit the spot in a manner that I simply hadn't expected - delicious!

The weekend came to an end in typical fashion with a dash to the ferry.  We arrived a little late at 4.15 and set off at 5.15.  End of weekend ferry crossings tend to be hugely uneventful and this one was no exception.  L'addition was performed expertly again by Jeff and I even managed to bring some money home!  We were back in Portsmouth by 10pm and I was home by 11.  End of story....

The 2009 Post Script

I've been thinking for some years now about my Le Mans trips.  I've been asked, both by visitors to my website and members of the Ten Tenths forum why I do Le Mans in the same way every year?  And I even explained the rationale for it here - Le Mans 2005 Story - Page 1.  And that explanation still holds good.  But having had quite a bit of time since to mull over the events of the Le Mans 2009 trip, one or two things that happened at the circuit, particularly on Sunday (this year and last) and the discussions at Cancale over dinner, have caused me to finally think again and those thoughts, together with some other new influences, will mean a departure for Ayse in 2010.

I've been to Le Mans 24 times - 24 consecutive years.  I intend to make it 25 in 2010.  But as I write this (in February 2010), I've decided that it will be very different.  For a few years now I've wanted to do the full week, including practice - and while I remain reasonably fit enough to manage it!  I now have the opportunity to do this with a friend from Ten Tenths (James - the organiser of our pit visits in 2008 and 2009) and I am grasping that opportunity with both hands. 

But the decision will inevitably be tinged with some sadness that I won't be travelling with the Tourists in 2010.  Chief Tourist Ian has been taking people to Le Mans since 1968 and I didn't make my debut there until 1986, but for many years after that the Tourists game plan was very simple - over Friday morning (lunchtime, occasionally), a dash to an overnight hotel, a gentle drive to somewhere for lunch on Saturday and arrival at the circuit a couple of hours before the start.  Times change though, and when we tried to do something similar in 2005, we came very unstuck!

In fact it was as late as 1999, my 14th Le Mans, that I finally made it to that hallowed soil before raceday, on Friday.  I think the realisation dawned at that time with both myself and Ian that this was far better than a mad dash to the circuit after lunch on Saturday.  We've done the Friday arrival every year since (except 2005!). 

The other major development was the arrival in our itinerary of the famous (or should that be infamous?) Hotel Restaurant Le Cheval Blanc at Le Grand Lucé.  First visited by Ian, Carol and Martyn in 1993, it became an immediate feature of all of our Le Mans trips from 1994, providing a meal and a night's sleep for those who wanted it on Saturday night and creating that very first dilemma for me over getting back to the circuit after dinner.

The other semi-major change to our plans came in 2007 with our first visit to the driver parade in town on Friday evening.  Although I enjoyed this very much in '07 and '08 particularly, my camera problems and being 'trapped' in Le Mans this year have probably rendered the parade a thing of the past for the Tourists - that's my guess, anyway....

But the greatest influence of all, by far, is the way that we, as 'Tourists' have changed.  It's nothing to do with new blood, as 'newbies' are normally quite happy to fit in with whatever the majority want to do.  But there is now influence within the group which seems to have developed over the last 5-6 years whereby Le Mans - the race - really doesn't seem to be as important as it once was.  In the last few years this has manifested itself in less enthusiasm to spend time at the circuit which is, of course, in direct conflict with my own wishes for a Le Mans trip, the primary focus of which always has to be to spend as much time at the circuit as possible. 

So there it is.  I feel this conflict is unfortunate, but I can see how it falls to me to resolve it and the only way that I can see of doing so satisfactorily for everyone is for me to make my own arrangements for 2010.  This I had intended to do long before James came up with his offer.  I still hope very much that it will be possible to meet up with the Tourists, whether for a meal or at least a beer somewhere, but the time has come for the rest of those Tourists to be able to do the Le Mans trip exactly as they want to.  

So I end the 2009 Tourists Story with a massive thank you to Ian for organising the trips over the last 24 years for me - it really has been fantastic, but also, here's to 2010 and a full week's commitment to Le Mans - I am so looking forward to it!