The Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet will be hosting the Bol d’Or once again from 18 to 20 September. After an absence of more than 15 years, the legendary 24-hour race will be back on the Var hillside track that has witnessed some of its finest moments. The Bol d’Or – the final round of the FIM EWC (Endurance World Championship) – is also one big motorcycling fest, with a host of fringe races and fun events. The 79th edition of the Bol d’Or comprises the final race of the Endurance world championship as well as the Bol d’Or Classic, the Bol d’Argent, and the Yamaha 125 Cup. But there’ll be more than racing in store for spectators during the three-day event. What with concerts, mechanics displays and classic and modern bike exhibits, visitors can look forward to plenty of high-octane fun. The track: new for some, a blast from the past for othersThe Suzuki Endurance Racing Team – with Terry Rymer, Jehan d’Orgeix and Christian Lavieille riding – won the last Bol d’Or to be held at Castellet back in 1999. Many riders will be tackling this circuit for the first time. Returning riders will find that, though some sections of the track have remained unchanged, others have been substantially modified: like the Virage du Pont turn and the S-curve Verrerie, which could previously be taken flat out but is now tighter, meaning riders have to brake hard, making overtaking a possibility. Yamaha or Suzuki?At the tail end of an action-packed season, Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and GMT94 Yamaha are in a tight duel for the title. Winner of the Le Mans 24 Heures Motos and best permanent team at the Suzuka 8 Hours, SERT is currently leading the championship, but after its win at the Oschersleben 8 Hours, GMT is a mere 23 points behind. With 60 points up for grabs (40 for the winner, plus 10 bonus points each for the team in first place 8 hours and 16 hours into the race respectively), the game remains wide open. These two teams are definitely the main contenders for the title although, statistically speaking, Bolliger Team Switzerland and Junior Team LMS Suzuki are still in with a chance for the world championship.The BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13. com bike has performed extremely well, consistently recording excellent lap times, and the long Mistral straight should be perfectly suited to its powerful engine.Aside from the 20 permanent teams competing for the FIM EWC, 30-odd private teams will be completing the line-up and spicing up the competition to give the Bol d’Or its legendary flavour. Other Bol races and eventsAlongside the main Bol d’Or race, some fabulous vintage bikes will be racing the famous Bol d’Or Classic: two legs, two hours each, on Friday evening and Saturday morning. The sounds and smells of a bygone era will fill the air at this classic bike extravaganza.
Amid the general enthusiasm that has greeted the return to Le Castellet circuit, with its impressive 5.8 km track, some teams are worried about the 1.8-km long straight on which the machines get up to speeds of over 320 kph. Both the factory squads and private teams will have to get to grips with the track and give it everything they’ve got to thrill spectators and make it to the end of the 24-hour race.
It’s likely to be an edge-of-seat race, because even the factory teams that are no longer in the running for the title will be gunning for victory at the Bol d’Or. Monster Energy Yamaha YART has made it clear they’re looking to win, after a tough season: despite a high-performance new R1 bike and fast riders, they were forced to throw in the towel at Le Mans and in Japan.
Same goes for SRC Kawasaki, which suffered a number of setbacks this year despite a fast bike and riders at the top of their game. The team won the last Bol d’Or on the Magny Cours circuit in April 2014, and is hoping to repeat the exploit.
Honda Racing’s trump card is fuel management, so they manage longer stints than their rivals. But technical hitches throughout the season have kept its excellent riders from reaching their full potential.
Some of the less-favoured squads are also likely to give the front runners a hard time at the Bol d’Or – like National Motos, R2CL, Flembbo Leader Team and Team April Moto Motors Events, which feature regularly at the higher end of the classification.
In the Superstock class, Junior Team Suzuki LMS are aiming for a win and the title in the face of keen competition from the Traqueur Louit Motos 33 and Tati Team Beaujolais Kawasaki bikes.
On Friday afternoon, the Bol d’Argent will have around 60 two-rider teams racing on medium displacement roadster bikes. The Yamaha YZF-R 125 Cup completes the weekend’s line-up of races.
This year’s Bol d’Or is geared to be a festive, convivial event: besides the exciting races in store, spectators can tour the stands of several exhibitors, visit the “Classic & Vintage” village and watch stunt, trial, BMX and freestyle demos throughout the event. There will be concerts all weekend long, with hard rock band “No One is Innocent” doing a gig on Saturday night.