Le Touquet Enduropale - Day 3 - Pre-Race |
|
|
File under Racing France
Author: Mike Werner
Location: Normandy, France
|
|
Le Touquet Enduropale 2007 Photos
Photos of the Le Touquet Enduropale motorcycle beach enduro are available ! There are some 950 photos available, and can be seen, downloaded and/or purchased.
Click here to access the photo site. |
I got up at 4 o'clock in the morning to have a look at the village scene. It was cold, about 2°C. At the organizer's village, people had just gotten up and there was movement.
The sweeper trucks had all started up their diesel engines. The trucks looked like something out of a Dakar race, and at closer inspection ... surprise .... they are all the support trucks used in the Dakar race (the Dakar race organizers, ASO, used to run this race).
Some of the trucks used seemed more out of another era. Most were being used to ferry staff around the 8 km beach.
Thousands of people had come the night before to party. Big fires were lit to keep them warm. The sound of techno music was present anywhere you would go.
Fire were not the only things used to keep warm. Copious amount of beer seemed to do the trick. Many were still drunk....
Some smart people brought tents. You could see tents spread around the city of Le Touquet.
Some just brought a sleeping bag, while most slept in cars, in chairs, or just plain on the ground next to the fires.
You could see the after-results !
The dawn Police patrol had just come in. They patrol the beach front and dunes on a 24 hour basis.
The press center was still very quite. I think I was the only one out at that time of the day...
At the race marshal building, they started handing out the packs to the people who would be making sure all riders were safe. The packs contained vests, flags, sandwiches and a bottle of water.
At 09:00 the first emergency trucks started rolling on to the beach. The main medical trucks went first.
They were followed by all sorts of medical and emergency trucks, plus the 10 or so sweeper trucks.
In the mean time, the organizer village had come to full life.
"Flying" doctors, on quads started fanning out. In total there were 2 field hospitals, 1 medical triage center, 6 first aid posts, 14 doctors, 2 surgeons, 11 nurses, 3 medivac helicopters used ! The organizers were not taking any chances. (No major incidents were reported during the race!)
I think this truck got lost during the 2nd World War and ended up here...
Major Bruno Jarno is quickly checking out the beach circuit on his BMW HP2, ensuring that no unauthorized people are on the beach (he told me later has was doing 190 kph !
Now, the race is ready to be run !
|
|
|
Click here to Show/Hide 
