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16 Feb 2004, 23:07 (Ref:876329)
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Rookie
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 82
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Loosign my Le Mans virginity
Hi all,
i wonder whether anyone may have some advice for me. Ill be going to Le Mans this year hopefully with a few friends for a nice little holiday....a and of course to see some serious racing. Quite happy with the general ticket for about £40 but this camping things starting to get a little complicated. We plan to arrive on the Thursday after flying over from liverpool/Leeds but would like to know the best place to have a few beers (not too much) as we would like to enjoy the racing more!! Any hints or tips would be great or a decent website that makes the camping priices etc a little clearer Cheers Mike |
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16 Feb 2004, 23:43 (Ref:876372)
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#2 | |||
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Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,837
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Re: Loosign my Le Mans virginity
Quote:
 There are two active threads in the Sports Car Racing section here and there is also the "Club Arnage" website http://www.le-mans.co.uk/. It has a comprehensive list of places/prices/etc.  Lots of `friends' here to `ease your way'. 
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__________________
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17 Feb 2004, 02:23 (Ref:876477)
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#3 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 13,763
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There is a nice little bar outside the circuit at Tetre Rouge , they even sell Stella !!! Outside the main gate to the right , up the road about a 5 minute walk there is also another little bar that has lots of weird and strange people there in the evenings .
Regarding camping sites , you may already be too late to get the nicest plots as these are usually booked a year or more in advance although if you arrive early enough and go to the admin building there will im sure be something left . Get the bus from outside the main gate into town and find the old town , there is some excellent restaurants and bars in the town and its buzzin too . In the main square of the town especially on friday night after the driver parade there is usually some nut cases doing major wheel spins and generaly filling the square with tyre smoke , last year they filled the fountain with washing up liquid and the whole square was full of bubbles ..... Be warned though , there is someplace every year a little frenchman from breton who likes to think he can play the bagpipes ..... He basically should be slapped in the face for he IS tone deaf !!! Half way down the Mulsanne there is a chinese restaurant where you can have something to eat from a limited menu , do not rely on the toilets at that restaurant cuz they are not designed to cope with 89.000 tons of bull in 24 hours . Pack a roll of toilet paper just in case . That little restaurant on the outside of Tetre Rouge do a mean beouf borginya and chips on the race weekend , only the back of the bar is open on race weekend but for qualifiying you can sit at the bar and have a pint or two . There is also a nice little restaurant at the bottom of the mulsanne straight . To get there , there is a free bus from outside the main gate that will take you to Indinapolis/Arnage and on to Mulsanne corner for free . If you can , and have a car , try and get to the first chicane at night , spectacular it is . Its about 50 yards past the chinaman and its good for getting pretty close to the cars , lots of cops and they stock some of the fields with bulls for the week so you cant get into them , I aint chancin it . Braking down with exhaust and turbos and brakes glowing and excellent sounds !!! There is lots of exciting corners to see , get to the inside of the porsche curves . The straight I find is a bad place to listen to the cars as I find the noise echos around the grandstands and sounds tinny to me anyway . At the bottom of the dunlop bridge there is a fairly new section that is pretty spectacular to watch as they head into the esse's and then head for my favourite corner . Tetre Rouge on the outside . It wasnt always a spectacular corner to view . When the cars had ground effects it wasnt so good IMO but , now its my corner . If you happen to see two men sitting on two 4 foot high homemade deckchairs , complete with ashtray and mugs of dark liquid thats us and we always have a little drinky with us . Come say Hello ..... The food inside the circuit is a little hit and miss but you will figure that out for yourself ... hee hee . Dont forget your *imodium* either ..... its amazing what can happen to you while there !!! A change of socks and a bottle of cold water to wash your feet is a good idea as i find the ground around the circuit is a little stoney and rough in places and tear the hell outta your pinkies after 28 hours or so . Hope this helps ..... Its the best place in the world , where else can you have a 24 hour orgasm ? Last edited by The Badger; 17 Feb 2004 at 02:30. |
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17 Feb 2004, 15:13 (Ref:877057)
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#4 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,227
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I think you've just about covered most of it Badge.
Welcome to TT's Dunnes and enjoy the best experience of your life for the first time!! Worth finding is the local supermarche - stocks cases of beer (and pretty much everything else!) until we get there and buy it all up! |
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__________________
You're either at Le Mans, or waiting for Le Mans. ('86, '87, '88, '89, '90, '91, '93, '94, '95, '97, '98, '00, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15, '16, '17)
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17 Feb 2004, 15:26 (Ref:877073)
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#5 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 675
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Two bits of advice - one spectate ontop of the karting pits at Porsche Curves _ and take some tinnies. The toilets are an experience but the view is great.
Camping - the airfield is behind the main granstands - a shuttle bus works between there and the main entrance. The airfield has some proper toilets/showers (and a decnt mess bar with tv/food/beer) and the ground is flat and nowhere near as busy as the main sites. If you can take a bike with you its is the best way to travel (esp when you fly there). Good luck - don;t forget the champagne bar before the start! |
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17 Feb 2004, 16:00 (Ref:877106)
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#6 | ||
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Racer
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 103
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Badger I hope this is the bit you are talking of! A great view here and Tertre Rouge just around the bend.
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/midgetsprit...s200334big.jpg I cannot ever seem to just post pictures, maybe in a few years time... Note the Dalmatian Dome... I will be in the Shampoo bar just before the kick-off see you there, and those from Club Armage Bill |
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17 Feb 2004, 18:54 (Ref:877357)
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#7 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 13,763
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Quote:
Where is this shampoo bar , I aint ever found that !  It would be nice to meet up and put a face to a name .
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17 Feb 2004, 18:59 (Ref:877363)
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#8 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 13,763
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Quote:
For the modelers amongst us there is a small but great model shop just off the main town square , I think its called "manu" . I normally find a few gems there . It works out about the same , and then you can retire to the bar just around the corner for a pint of Hineken . Last edited by The Badger; 17 Feb 2004 at 19:01. |
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17 Feb 2004, 20:34 (Ref:877516)
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#9 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 13,763
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Even worse ..... how did I forget Radio LeMans . Right , you need a pocket FM radio with comfortable headphones , not the type that fit inside your ear as after 24 hours or so your ears can get sore from them . Radio LeMans opperate throughout the week and provide up to the minute race deatils as well as driver interviews , music , humor and "baby you make me go brum brum" jingles , I love that tune !!! Does that make me sad ?
Dont forget to go to the scrutineering in the old town , its normally beside the cathederal but I think I remember hearing the this year it will be held someplace else . Also ..... if you have problems with sleeping arrangements , go see the tourist office . The locals get in touch with them and let them know if they have rooms for rent for the week . A little pricy for B&B but who can fault them and its not that much over the top . Some sort of device to sit on is also a good idea cuz 24 on your feet is blistering . A few of those little face wipes are usefull too . If your into coke more than pepsi bring your own as inside its pepsi only . Useless info to some !!! Ive been going there 14 times and always find something new to drag along for the next years race . If I think of something else I will post back . Hope you enjoy your first LeMans ..... its addictive !!! |
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17 Feb 2004, 20:38 (Ref:877519)
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#10 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 13,763
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Quote:
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17 Feb 2004, 20:40 (Ref:877524)
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#11 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 13,763
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Quote:
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17 Feb 2004, 20:58 (Ref:877549)
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#12 | ||
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Racer
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 321
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Hmm, this is an advisable topic for us first-timers
How'yar doin' Ger?
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__________________
Drinking for Holland, the lot.
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17 Feb 2004, 21:41 (Ref:877625)
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#13 | |||
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Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,837
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Shopping
Quote:
"the local supermarche" refers to the "Carrefour" hypermart on the west side of Avenue Georges Durand, a few miles North of the bypass route (used to be N-23).  Ave G.D. is the N-138 and becomes the Mulsanne straight. Driving South from the center of town one must be in the RIGHT lane for a small road just before the "Buffalo Grille" restaurant that will lead you counter-clockwise to a traffic light where you can safely enter the parking lot. You can not turn Left into the parking lot. 
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__________________
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17 Feb 2004, 23:31 (Ref:877735)
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#14 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 13,763
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Quote:
Im tryin to find out where this Champagne bar is ? Maybe I know it but just didnt realise it 
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17 Feb 2004, 23:32 (Ref:877737)
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#15 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 13,763
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Oh yeah ..... I wouldnt really rave that much about the buffalo grill , but thier toilets are ok !!!
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18 Feb 2004, 06:15 (Ref:877980)
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#16 | |||
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Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 9,482
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Quote:
For now, the meetings are planned in the Welcome area, alongside the track (we were on the Village square last year, but you've nothing to watch when you're waiting !). At 8h30 in the morning (saturday of the race), the "croissants" meeting is at the Paddock Bar : it allows you to wtach the pilots and team managers running to their cars while you take your coffee (but you've to have a GS ticket to get in, any GS ticket). I'll post to precise the place and the schedules... |
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18 Feb 2004, 08:21 (Ref:878020)
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#17 | ||
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Team Crouton
20KPINAL
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 39,570
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Welcome Dunnes - just keep popping in here for all the pre-Le Mans news and goss.
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__________________
44 days...
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18 Feb 2004, 08:41 (Ref:878031)
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#18 | |||
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Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 9,482
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Quote:
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18 Feb 2004, 09:06 (Ref:878042)
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#19 | ||
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Racer
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 103
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That was a great place to watch from, very popular with visitors (not too sure why, ho ho) I know which bit you mean now, just that I'd only just re-started taking pictures around there as the food and beer stands had been occupying me for a while.
Tertre Rouge was the first spot that Nick and I actually saw any of the race from, ever, so it will always be the main place for me and as you say when the cars sweep off the chicane it is a marvellous spot to hear the noise... |
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18 Feb 2004, 12:29 (Ref:878226)
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#20 | ||
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Racer
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 321
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If I take a television, can we recieve the Sunday Canadian Grand Prix via an arial?
(if needed a French tv, my parents live in France) |
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__________________
Drinking for Holland, the lot.
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18 Feb 2004, 16:55 (Ref:878452)
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#21 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,227
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Quote:
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__________________
You're either at Le Mans, or waiting for Le Mans. ('86, '87, '88, '89, '90, '91, '93, '94, '95, '97, '98, '00, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15, '16, '17)
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18 Feb 2004, 16:59 (Ref:878457)
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#22 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,227
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Quote:
Purely medicinal though No seriously - i'm there for LM first and everything else 2nd. This will be my 16th "Pilgrimage" to La Sarthe and can't wait. Hoping to swing some hospitality this year as well so i'll leave some beer on the shelves for the rest of you guys! Shotgun the paddling pool to cool my beer if all else fails though
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__________________
You're either at Le Mans, or waiting for Le Mans. ('86, '87, '88, '89, '90, '91, '93, '94, '95, '97, '98, '00, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15, '16, '17)
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18 Feb 2004, 17:01 (Ref:878462)
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#23 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,227
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Never watched form Tetre Rouge or Indianapolis though, so there're on the list for this year (Indi could be tough to get to though).
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__________________
You're either at Le Mans, or waiting for Le Mans. ('86, '87, '88, '89, '90, '91, '93, '94, '95, '97, '98, '00, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15, '16, '17)
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18 Feb 2004, 17:42 (Ref:878486)
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#24 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 13,763
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Indy is really not a problem as there is a bus from outside the gate , free . The outside I find At Tetre Rouge is better for viewing as you catch them coming in from the esse's , yasee more .
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18 Feb 2004, 22:17 (Ref:878738)
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#25 | |||
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Racer
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 321
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Quote:
I don't know yet what line-up Racing for Holland has in store, just check www.janlammers.com every now and then. Verstappen seems to opt for his couch at home, waiting for a drive to turn up in F1 later this year like what happened with Magnussen previously at Stewart. Coronel (an other RfH driver) might have a chance to become test driver at Minardi, all to do with sponsoring again... Found out today that the rental-draft machine will only pull 350 watts
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