Bol d’Or – The 69th Bol d’Or under the sign of suspense –

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The 69th Bol d’Or under the sign of suspense

Bol d'Or - The 69th Bol d'Or under the sign of suspense -

Will the GMT Yamaha succeed in dethroning the SERT Suzuki? The official Kawa in constant progress and the private Honda of National Moto go the distance? Presentation of the 69th Bol d’Or … with real pieces of suspense inside !

With four motorcycles racing for victory (Suzuki # 1 and 2 from SERT, Yamaha # 94 from GMT and official Kawasaki # 11), three aiming for at least one podium (Honda # 5 and 6 from National Moto and Yamaha n ° 38 in Endurance Moto 38) and a total of 50 crews firmly determined to "spread like ragpickers"According to Dominique Meliand himself, the 69th Bol d’Or which will take place on the weekend of September 17 and 18 at Magny Cours promises to be particularly competitive and rich in twists and turns…

GMT – Yamaha n ° 94

Team manager: Christophe Guyot
Motorbike : Yamaha 1000 R1 n ° 94
Pilots: David Checa (E), Sebastien Gimbert (F) and William Costes (F)

"Yamaha # 94 is ready for the Bol d’Or", declared Christophe Guyot at the end of August at the end of the full-scale tests carried out by the three GMT pilots on the Nevers Magny-Cours circuit."1’43.00 for David Checa, 1’43.6 for William Costes and 1’43.7 for Sebastien Gimbert: the average of these laps achieved on race tires sets the bar high, very high", rejoiced the team manager. With a qualifying tire, David even exploded the absolute record on the handlebars of an endurance machine by posting an incredible time of 1’42.2 which would have placed him in tenth position in the championship. of the Superbike world !

But the former instit ‘of Ivry-sur-Seine knows too well the vagaries of endurance not to keep a cool head: "of course we know that every competitor can find better performance from here on the Bowl. We are also aware that the sky can fall on our heads at any moment, that nothing is ever taken for granted. But we don’t wanna live with this angst so we make the most of the moment !"

"Our Yamaha is so reliable today that our riders can push hard", congratulates Christophe!"The changes we have made allow us not to give savings instructions to our pilots and what I like about modern endurance because it is a sport performance discipline in its own right and accessible to all: s’ they have talent, the pilots have the opportunity to showcase themselves and reveal their human qualities".

As to the fact of knowing why he does not align two Yamaha, as the SERT do with Suzuki and National Moto with Honda in particular, Christophe explains that that would not stick with the philosophy of GMT: "we develop a motorcycle to win riders, it’s not the riders who win a brand. The whole team is motivated behind three men. By entering a second bike, it would become our main competitor and the team’s mindset would be changed. On the other hand, we are ready to help all the Yamaha teams that race and we do it regularly. And we’ll do everything to make sure a Yamaha wins !"

Suzuki Castrol Racing Team – Suzuki n ° 1 and 2

Team manager: Dominique Meliand
Motorcycles: Suzuki GSX-R 1000 n ° 1 and n ° 2
Machine drivers n ° 1: Vincent Philippe (F), Keiichi Kitagawa (J), Matthieu Lagrive (F)
Machine drivers n ° 2: Guillaume Dietrich (F), Olivier Four (F) and Dani Ribalta-Bosch (E)

The defending champion, absolute reference in French endurance, world champion and multiple winner at the Bol, the official Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT), intends to maintain the hegemony of its two GSXRs (n ° 1 and 2 ). "This year we are endurance world champions but we lost the 24 Hours of Le Mans and winning the Bol d’Or would be a great way to end the season.", explains the tireless team manager of SERT Dominique Meliand, who has nevertheless experienced difficulties:"two weeks before the event, I still did not have a third driver on machine n ° 2. I just found one with Spanish Dani Ribalta-Bosch, but I still don’t have a replacement"… Indeed, few high level pilots are available due to the competition of dates between the national championships of many countries.

"We need strong men if we want to put our two bikes on the podium", provides the pope of French endurance:"the GMT is sharp and super motivated and I am very wary of the Kawasaki which can bore us throughout the race … And we must not underestimate the two Honda Playstations because Christian Lavieille (the team manager, Editor’s note) has no eyes in his pocket and since taking up this managerial position, he has gained a lot of experience! He’s a bit of my spiritual son of the race and if his team doesn’t go to win, they can still put us in the wheel".

Dominique Meliand is therefore planning a 2005 edition particularly "exciting", because "with six motorcycles that can run for the places of honor, we will spread like ragpickers !"

Kawasaki Fuchs Agyltech Racing Team – Kawasaki n ° 11

Team manager: Jean-Francois Gay
Motorbike : Kawasaki ZX-10R n ° 11
Pilots: Julien da Costa (F), Christophe Cogan (F) and Frederic Moreira (F). Substitute: Sebastien de Rosa (F)

For Kawa, the objective displayed by Jean-François Gay and "all our team, our pilots, our partners, our mechanics and our manufacturer"is particularly clear, sober and efficient:"victory" !

The Greens, who have seen during the last 24 Hours of Le Mans how competitive the ZX-10R has become (read), would indeed like "move from the status of challenger to that of full-fledged rival"

"If in 2002 and 2003 we were in decline, since 2004 we have proven that we have the potential to win", continues Jean-François Gay:"a lot of work has been done since April and the changes to the chassis paid off during the pre-Bol tests at Magny Cours. So I think our Kawasaki is now at the level of our opponents’ motorcycles and all hopes are allowed !"

But like his competitors, the team manager also knows perfectly well "endurance and its pitfalls: races have become speed tests and drivers are forced to ride to their maximum … with the risks that this represents"…

Team National Moto Play Station – Honda n ° 5 and 6

Team manager: Christian Lavieille
Motorcycles: Honda CBR 1000 n ° 5 and n ° 6
Machine drivers n ° 5: Sebastien Scarnato (F), Philippe Dobe (F) and Ludovic Holon (F)
Machine drivers n ° 6: Bruno Bonhuil (F), Philippe Donischal (F) and Gwen Giabbani (F)

"Since the last Bol d’Or we have made good progress especially in terms of the chassis and Dunlop tires, explains Christian Lavieille: "we are always a little tight in terms of engine since the regulations do not allow us to evolve that would be useful to us but in terms of structure we have also made progress, with a more competent staff and necessarily better in practice".

The team manager believes that his team "is gradually approaching the leading motorcycles, but we cannot claim to compete with them. For the moment, we are at an observation post, like the hunters, and we are waiting for the fault of others. We will give our maximum anyway, especially for Pipo, the creator of this team who is sick and can no longer come to the circuits. It would be extraordinary for us to give him a good result !"

Moto-Net will also closely follow the tenth participation of Team Endurance Moto 38 of Jean-Claude Claperon with Frederic Protat (F), Thierry Mulot (F), Gerald Muteau (F) and Jean-Louis Devoyons (F) on the handlebars of the Yamaha 1000 R1 n ° 38. "We would like to finish on the podium", confides Jean-Claude Claperon:"we were unlucky at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since we retired an hour before the end"(read)…

Without forgetting of course the Team Deletang and its Yamaha 1000 R1 n ° 41 led by Warwick Nowland (Aus), Fabien Sohier (F) and Yann Lussiana (F): "we quickly understood how to win races in Stocksport and we put all the assets on our side to obtain an honorable result on this Bol d’Or", warns Jean-Marc Deletang straight away."We want to be able to stay in contact with leading machines, even if we are clear-headed: we are not on the same planet! To finish in the top five would be a great satisfaction"…

Another Kawasaki in the Stocksport race: the # 49 ZX-10R of Team Scratch Moto Angers entrusted to Anthony Delhalle (F), Fabrice Auger (F) and David Perret (F), all three at the head of the Kawasaki Team Green challenge.

"We have been Kawasaki dealers in Angers since 1974 and we have been participating in endurance events since 1983, mainly at the 24 Hours of Le Mans which is near us.", recalls Michel Haubois, boss of this semi-official team:"with Kawasaki, we want to promote and encourage young riders who have ambition and in whom we feel a potential. We are recruiting our drivers within the French 600 Promosport championship and For this Bol 2005, we took the first three of the Kawasaki Team Green challenge set up by the brand. Anthony Delhalle is 24, Fabrice Auger 23 and David Perret just 20 years old. He is leading the 600 Promosport championship and this will be his first participation in an endurance race! The challenge is interesting especially as we are aiming for victory in the Stocksport category. !"

Also in Stocksport, we will find the Bolliger Team Switzerland of Hans Peter Bolliger with the Kawasaki ZX-10R n ° 8 in the hands of Marcel Kellenberger (CH), David Morillon (F), Patrick Muff (CH) and Steve Mizera (D).

"We can say that with the SERT of Dominique Meliand, we are the oldest teams of the Bol d’Or and the Master of Endurance", notes Hans Peter Bolliger, whose team has been competing in the Bol d’Or since 1982."I would add that the team members have been the same for 23 years! From 1982 to 1992, I was a pilot myself, then I became a team manager. But we have always remained faithful to Kawasaki despite some years when it was not easy … I do not know how long the team will exist, but it is certain that we will always be faithful to this brand! Basically we are preparers and we also work on the machine of the Diabolo 666 team".

Among the machines to follow, let us also point out the ZX-10R n ° 9 of the Genous team Racing with Alain Raskin, Ludovic and Yvan Genestier, the GSXR 1000 n ° 18 of the firefighters with Stephane Molinier, Guillaume Pialoux and Guillaume Grelaud, the GSXR 750 n ° 76 of Magic Box Endurance with our colleagues from Moto Journal Zef Enault and Thomas Baujard alongside Luc Noël and David Emonet, the GSXR 1000 n ° 67 of 3A Racing Team with Magalï Langlois, Fabienne Migout and Alexandre Lagrive … and all the others !

On the other hand, we deplore the premature abandonment of the ZX-10R n ° 93 of Top Driver MSC 93 which was to be driven by Laurry Fremy, Denis Bouan, Hugo Marchand and Laurent Brian, but which was the victim of a breakage during the tests….

Concerts and entertainment

On the sidelines of the race, the Friday evening concert will be provided by the group Satisfaction for a tribute to the Rolling Stones and that of Saturday by Nono and Co (ex-guitarist of Trust) for a "Tribute to ACDC" and an "Rock ‘n Roll Night"… with the possible appearance of Christophe Guyot on guitar on stage !

Prices on site

  • 60 € with access to the general circuit enclosure with his motorbike, to the paddock and to the pit lane visit on Friday at 5:00 p.m.

  • Free for children under 12

  • Car parkings: 15 €

  • Motorhome parking: 40 €

  • Motorcycle parkings: free

Stunt
The stunters Jonath ‘and Fred will offer a festival of figures all more improbable than the others on the straight line of the pits Friday at the end of the afternoon and Saturday just before the start of the Bol.

Pit lane visit
A privileged way to admire the motorcycles that will participate in the Bol d’Or, to exchange a few words with the pilots, team managers and mechanics or to take behind-the-scenes photos. This visit, which will take place on Friday at 5:00 p.m., will be commented by the official speakers.

Win a Benelli Tornado 900
In each free program, spectators will find a participation form for the raffle which will take place on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. at the SIMA stand. Ballot boxes will be installed inside and outside the circuit.

Mr. Bol d’Or
Mr. Bol d’Or will travel through the village, the stands and the paddock asking questions to offer t-shirts, medals or places for the Supercross and the Guidon d’Or de Bercy.

Town
No less than one hundred stands will make up night and day a village rich in goods and various activities (helmets, leathers, accessories, t-shirts, gadgets, etc.).

Info course in the village
Located in the village, the Mutuelle des Motards info tent will allow you to follow the race hour by hour.

Parking lots and lockers
Yamaha owners will be able to park their motorcycles in the car parks reserved for this brand, while members of the Mutuelle des Motards will have their own space as well as Moto Revue subscribers who will benefit from private parking. The Motards Mutual and the FFMC also manage a helmet deposit.

Technical station
At the eastern entrance to the village, the Sud Moto Racing team is at the disposal of all bikers suffering from mechanical problems (tires, brakes, chain kit, etc.).

Fun fair
A multitude of rides will be in place from Friday evening as well as the bungee jumping, the free fall, the "mess-everything" and the giant swing (nothing sexual!).

Additional races
On the sidelines of the main competition which starts on Saturday 17 September at 3 p.m. and ends on Sunday 18 at the same time, the organizers have planned a show on the track with the Roadster Cup 600, the Super Roadster Cup, the Challenge Moto Revue Classic / TZ Club, the Protwin Challenge and the French Cup Honda, which will animate the circuit until Saturday noon. As for the traditional operation "Cups for a Bowl", it will arrive on Saturday at 12:30 pm on the pit straight line.

14 Relays "Motards Calmos"

As every year, the FFMC and road safety set up Relais Motards Calmos for "encourage motorcyclists to take a "safety" break on the road, both on the way there and back":

03 – Relais Motards Calmos Toulon sur Allier road center

  • Helmet cleaning, relaxation, toilets, showers

  • On RN 7 (2 km south of Moulins) Presence of DDE 03 and FFMC 63.

  • Open from Friday September 16 at 10 a.m. to Sunday September 18 at 8 p.m., non-stop.

10 – Relais Motards Calmos Halte du Cheminot

  • Helmet cleaning

  • On RN77 (20 km south of Troyes, direction Auxerre) Presence of DDE 10 and FFMC 10.

  • Open from Friday September 16 at 10 a.m. to Saturday September 17 4 p.m. (north-south direction) and from Sunday September 18 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m..

18 – Relais Motards Calmos Bourges – Route de Nevers

  • Helmet cleaning, inflation

  • On RD976 at the exit of Bourges towards Nevers. Presence of DDE 18 and FFMC 18.

  • Open from Friday September 16 at 2 p.m. to Sunday September 18 8 p.m., non-stop.

25 – Relais Motards Calmos Champoux-Marchaux

  • Helmet cleaning, inflation

  • On the A36 (north-east of Besançon) Presence of the DDE 25 and the FFMC 25, in collaboration with the SAPRR.

  • Open from Friday September 16 at 10 a.m. to Saturday September 17 at 12 noon (north-south direction).

26 – Relais Calmos Pont de l’Isère – Latitude 45

  • Helmet cleaning, sanitary facilities

  • On A 7 (8 km north of Valence) Presence of DDE 26 and FFMC 26, in collaboration with ASF.

  • Open from Friday September 16 at 8 a.m. to Saturday September 17 1 p.m. (south-north direction) and from Sunday September 18 10 a.m. to Monday September 19 1 a.m., (possibility of sleeping), local specialty offered (direction N / S )

37 – Relais Motards Calmos Service station area at the exit of the municipality of Veretz

  • Helmet cleaning, repatriation within a radius of 20 km

  • On RN 76 (10 km east of Tours, direction Bourges) Presence of DDE 37 and FFMC 37, from the city of Veretz.

  • Open from Friday September 16 at 8 a.m. to Sunday September 18 8 p.m. non-stop.

45 – Relais Motards Calmos Jardin des Arbres

  • Helmet cleaning, sanitary facilities, motorcycle repatriation, IPCSR animation (reflexometer)

  • On A77 (31 km south of Montargis, direction Briare) Presence of the DDE 45 and the FFMC 45, in collaboration with the SAPRR.

  • Open Friday September 16 from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday 17 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday September 18 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m..

48 – Relais Motards Calmos Aire de Lozère

  • Helmet cleaning, inflation

  • On A 75 exit N ° 32 Aire de Lozère (120 km south of Clermont Ferrand) Presence of DDE 48 and FFMC 48.

  • Open from Friday September 16 at 8 a.m. to Sunday September 18 midnight, non-stop.

52 – Relais Motards Calmos Langres Perrogney-Noidant

  • Helmet cleaning, relaxation

  • On the A31 (8 km south of Langres) Presence of the FFMC 52, in collaboration with the SAPRR.

  • Open Sunday, September 18 from 12 p.m. to midnight (O / E direction).

54 – Relais Motards Calmos de Nancy / Toul

  • Helmet cleaning, relaxation workshop

  • On the A31 (located south of Nancy before Toul), at the rest area of ​​Dommartin les Toul on the 17th and Chaudeney on the 18th (return direction) Presence of the DDE 54 and the FFMC 54 with the support of the CDPA and physiotherapy school.

  • Open for the outward journey (Dommartin area) from Friday 4 to 12 noon to Saturday 5 to 12 noon and return (Chaudeney area) on Sunday 18 from 12 to 12.00.

58 – Relais Motards Calmos Aire des Vignobles

  • Info access to the circuit, helmet cleaning, inflation, toilets

  • On A 77, 60 km north of the Magny-Court circuit – Presence of the DDE 58 and the FFMC 58.

  • Open from Friday September 16 at 10:00 a.m. to Saturday 17 at 4:00 p.m. (non-stop) and Sunday 18 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (gas station open 24 hours a day).

68 – Relais Motards Calmos Fountain Toll Area

  • Helmet cleaning

  • On A 36 (10 km east of Belfort) Presence of DDE 68 and FFMC 68.

  • Open from Sunday September 18 at noon to Monday September 19 at 7 pm.

71 – Relais Motards Calmos d’Autun

  • Relaxation, helmet cleaning, sanitary facilities, water point and animation at the station open 200 meters from the relay

  • On the RN 181 in the city center of Autun (Saône et Loire department), station car park. Presence of DDE 71 and FFMC 71.

  • Open from Friday September 16 at 10 a.m. to Sunday September 18 at 8 p.m. non-stop.

89 – Relais Motards Calmos de Courson

  • Inflating, cleaning helmet

  • On RN 151 25 km south of Auxerre Commune de Courson les Carrières. Presence of DDE 89 and FFMC 89.

  • Open from Friday September 16 at 12:00 p.m. to Saturday 5 at 1:00 p.m. then Sunday 18 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m..

Eric MICHEL – Photos Eric MICHEL

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