The 24 Hours Motos is the third round in the FIM EWC, following the Bol d’Or which took place on 21–22 September and the 8 Hours of Sepang, scheduled for 14 December 2019.
The 43rd Le Mans 24 Hours Motos race is likely to be a crucial round in the championship.
Last year’s 24 Hours winner and reigning champion Webike SRC Kawasaki France is the favourite. However, having won the Bol d’Or, Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, headed by Damien Saulnier since Dominique Méliand’s retirement, will be keen to repeat the performance. Another Le Mans win would put Suzuki on a par with Kawasaki which already has 14 wins to its name. Kawasaki, Suzuki, Honda and Yamaha have a European make to contend with this year, in the shape of BMW. The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team is the German manufacturer’s works entry. Thus, five manufacturers will compete on the track for a prestigious victory.
In its fifth decade, the 24 Hours Motos continues to attract world-class riders. A Le Mans win remains an outstanding accomplishment for any biker. Motorcycle racing is often portrayed as an individual sport, yet the 24 Hours Motos is a true team event that calls for an osmosis between members. Webike SRC Kawasaki France seems to have found the ideal combination with Jérémy Guarnoni (one Le Mans 24 Hours Motos win), David Checa (three race wins) and Erwan Nigon (two Le Mans 24 Hours Motos wins). Last year’s winners will be sharing the Kawasaki ZX-10RR again, hoping to lift the trophy for the second year running. At Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, Gregg Black and Etienne Masson (one Le Mans 24 Hours Motos win) will have a new teammate, Vincent Philippe having announced his forthcoming retirement after three Le Mans 24 Hours Motos wins and ten championship titles. Grand Prix riders such as 2008 125cc world champion Mike di Meglio are also drawn to Le Mans. The Frenchman won the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours Motos with GMT94-Yamaha at the team’s first attempt before joining Freddy Foray (two Le Mans 24 Hours Motos wins) and Josh Hook (one Le Mans 24 Hours Motos win) at F.C.C TSR Honda France. Foray’s twin brother Kenny has recently joined BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team in the hope of celebrating his first overall win in a 24-hour race . As usual, these professional riders will be sharing the track with amateurs for whom a place on the grid is a triumph in itself.
Founded by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest in 1978, the 24 Hours Motos is one of five demanding races that count towards the 2019-2020 Endurance World Championship. To many manufacturers, a Le Mans win is the ultimate achievement. Kawasaki, Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha have all tasted the sweetness of 24 Hours Motos success. The event attracts riders with different backgrounds, which adds to its appeal. They share a desire to perform at the best of their ability on the famed circuit, cheered on by a warm, knowledgeable crowd.
The 24 Hours Motos is one of the highlights of the year at the Le Mans circuit, and the race poster is always a treat. This year, marketing agency Comquest portrays motorcyling in a new light, with a fresh outlook for the 2020 event. The adrenaline – felt by the riders and the spectators alike – is evident in the play on night and day.
>> DOWNLOAD THE 2020 24 HOURS MOTOS POSTER <<
Official test sessions for the 43rd 24 Hours Motos begin on Thursday 16 April 2020. Teams are also invited to take part in two free practice days on 31 March and 1 April 2020.
2020 Tickets
4-Day General Enclosure Passes are on sale at the early-bird rate of €62 until 1 March 2020 and €73 thereafter. Free admission for under-sixteens (born on or after 18 april 2004) accompanied by a ticket-bearing adult.
How to book?
- By visiting: https://ticket.lemans.org/en/24h-motos
- The official site for making online reservations and payments.
- By calling ACO’s ticket office directly: +33 (0)2 43 40 80 00 or emailing ticket@lemans.org
- In one of the four official 24 Hours Motos boutiques:
Paris: 118 Boulevard Haussmann, Paris 8th. Tel: +33 (0)1 44 90 00 24
Le Mans : Circuit des 24 Heures. Tel: +33 (0)2 43 40 24 65
Tours : 32 rue Marceau. Tel: +33 (0)2 47 05 11 11
Rouen : 24, rue de l'Hôpital. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 71 44 89.
- In one of ACO’s five regional branches:
Angers: +33 (0)2 41 88 40 22; 7, place de la République;
Caen: +33 (0)2 31 85 47 35; 20, avenue du 6 juin;
Nantes: +33 (0)2 40 48 11 11; 6, boulevard Gabriel Guist’hau ;
Rennes: +33 (0)2 99 79 11 11; 40, boulevard de la Liberté;
Saint-Brieuc: +33 (0)2 96 33 16 20; 6, place Duguesclin.
- Other points of sale: FNAC, Carrefour, Cora, Géant, Auchan, Leclerc, Système U, Francebillet and Ticketmaster.