Earlier this week, the teams competing in the 42nd Le Mans 24H Motos carefully set up stall as the sun shone down on the Bugatti Circuit. Today, they will submit their motorcycles for scrutineering while the drivers have their licences and gear checked. Official practice sessions begin on Thursday.

The first Preview event was held last year to give Le Mans residents and visitors a chance to learn more about motorcycle endurance racing and the 24H Motos, the discipline’s flagship event. Today, the race comes to the city centre as the teams and their machines gather on Place des Jacobins where there will be an array of entertainment from 14:00 onwards, with a chance to see the bikes up close. Riders will also pose in their racing leathers for the traditional group portrait against the backdrop of Saint-Julien cathedral. They will then attend a briefing session in the Le Mans Quinconces Pathé cinema, one of the event’s partners. The session is not open to the public, but fans will have the Opportunity to chat to riders and collect autographs and selfies!

The 24H Motos, held for the 42nd time this year, promises to be a memorable experience once again, as Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki and BMW go wheel-to-wheel in the battle for victory. There will be a gruelling fight in the Superstock class, while two powerful bikes will put their groundbreaking technology to the test in the Experimental class.

Italian outfit No Limits Motor Team brings a touch of style to the race with its “Art Bike” designed by Jacopo Ghislanzoni and architect Jacopo Bellucci. The #44 Suzuki sports a special motif featuring a masked being, its fist raised defiantly, in a mix of futurism and pop art. The idea of a special “Art” livery is new at the 24H Motos but is a regular feature at the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race, where numerous Art Cars have raced in the past.

Jorge Viegas, president of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), who attended the very first 24H Motos in 1978, will be race starter for this year’s event, which kicks off at 15:00 on Saturday 20 April. He will be available for the press at a Meet & Greet session over the weekend. Please contact Isabelle Lariviere, isabelle.lariviere@fim.ch to book an interview.