Le Mans 2005 - phew what a scorcher!

Depart Lewes 05:50 on Thursday morning in a Ford Focus, arrive Little Common, switch to Mercedes V Class, pick up the rest of the party in Bexhill. To Channel Tunnel via Hastings seafront, Winchelsea and Rye. Quick trip through the tunnel and we are departing Calais at 10:15 local time - pitstop for gas and a sandwich. Ogling Lamborghinis and other exotica.
A car is overturned in the other lane as we head south-west past Boulogne and Abbeville (a stop on previous tours). Much Brit traffic on the road to Rouen. Across the Somme listening to John Prine and Georgie Fame. Midday at the junction for Rouen-Le Havre - we take the northern route arriving Yvetot at 12:30 for lunch. Get some Euros out of a cash machine and lunch at the Hotel du Havre - €119.75 for a party of five. South across the Pont-de-Brotonne to Pont Audemer, to recce a campsite for the return leg, which we decide is not inspiring. Then via delightful fast 'D' roads to Gacé, arriving 16:30 in bright sunshine. Shopping at the Intermarché, in the Rue de Cisau, followed by a barbecue at the Camping Municipal, which is in a convenient central location. Up next morning for the now traditional bike ride in the Normandy countryside. We experience the usual mechanical maladies - I am riding brother Andy's red Brompton L5 folder and am taking it easy. We climb up a steep hill and have a long descent before returning to town via a long flat stretch along the main road - I pick up a tow from Richard Banks on the Fold-It. A Brompton L3, a mid-70's Universal and the infamous "Bugatti Royal", a gearless Chinese contraption, follow behind.
We derig at the campsite in short order in time for an early lunch at the Restaurant Tahiti - we sing happy birthday for Simone, who works there, in what is becoming an annual event. I am sleeping in an American-made self-erecting tent which is spring loaded - stand back while it puts itself up!
We depart for La Suze sur Sarthe, a delightful small town in the valley of the Sarthe and a short drive from the circuit. We shop in town and have a beer in the town square. The campsite, by the river, has a splendid little café - "La Suzeraine" - which serves an excellent omelette breakfast at reasonable prices. An evening visit to friends running a campsite at Guécelard proves diverting with the rock band warming up the racegoers and the management wondering if the beer will run out. The hospitality is warm and we kill a few cans.
Next morning we depart for Arnage using local knowledge to dodge the grid-locked traffic. We park in a side road and unload the bikes. Up to the circuit passing lines of traffic to sort out tickets and then back to Arnage for a relaxing lunch.
Unfortunately the "Bugatti Royal" folding bike picks up a puncture which defies attempts to mend it. We vow to carry spare tubes in future. We head to Mulsanne for the start of the 24 hour race - it is more crowded than I have seen it in blazing hot conditions. The Pescarolo cars make the early pace. We opt for an afternoon nap at La Suze followed by the evening at the Arnage curves. An exotic kit-car rips out the sump and oilpump entering the circuit car park. We have a Chipo-Frite supper washed down with chilled Cote du Rhone. We move on to the Garage Vert inside the circuit and the boys go walkabout while I stay with the van, with Radio Le Mans and a bottle of Rosé for company.
Sunday morning and it is time to derig already - we opt for croissants at La Suzeraine then back to Mulsanne for the race finish. We watch the race on the big TV in the bar for a spell. It is still too hot to be outside for long - I can feel my legs burning. Audi are wrapping up another race victory with teutonic efficiency - Tom Kristensen cruising to his seventh victory along with JJ Lehto and Marco Werner. By the 16:00 finish we are already rolling, listening to the end on the radio, and head up the N138, running the gauntlet of the speed cops who are pulling over hapless Brits with sickening regularity.
We take to the backroads to Bourg-Achard, our stop for the night and venue for the end-of-tour dinner. We dine at the "Le Fleur de Sel" creperie, €40 per head, with a generous helping of Calvados. On arrival Bourg-Achard lacked the charm of the many towns and villages traversed on the way north but the campsite at "Le Clos Normand" proved shady and the restaurant most acceptable. We linger next morning breakfasting at "Le Bistrot Gourmand" on the pavement in the main street. A short hop back across the Pont-de-Brotonne and we take the autoroute to Calais arriving at Cité Europe at 01:15. Lunch at Flunch and some quick shopping and back in Folkestone at 15:40 local time. Overall the timetabling and arrangements worked well, reflecting many years experience travelling to La Sarthe, but with temperatures in the 30's spectating was curtailed. No matter as the atmosphere was as good as ever and there is always next year.