Le Mans Circuit France

The Le Mans MotoGP circuit is located 125 miles south-west of Paris and three miles south of the city of Le Mans. The 4.18 kilometre track was built around the famous 24-hour circuit in 1965. A serious accident in 1995 involving Spanish rider Alberto Puig saw it taken off the calendar until 2000 in order to carry out safety improvements. The circuit uses the main straight and the remarkable fast right hand bend between the towering grandstands that leads to the famous Dunlop chicane. The remainder of the circuit is very stop and start with a crucial slow right hand bend leading back into the start and finish straight. At the gates of the circuit is the Automobile Museum of La Sarthe. This museum takes young and old alike on a spectacular voyage of discovery in the land of the automobile. There are 3,600 square yards in which to be astonished, to understand, to sample and discover an exceptional collection.

The 2006 race saw Marco Melandri's second win of the year. Valentino Rossi took the lead after starting from 7th but retired with engine trouble. Loris Capirossi came in second and Dani Pedrosa completed the podium.

The nearest airport is Paris Orly, 128 miles away. Driving from Paris, first take the A10 and then the A11 Autoroute. Exit the A11 at Junction 6 and follow the southern ring road signs for Tours, Angers, and Nantes on the N23. Alternatively, catch a train from Paris Gare Montparnasse for the 55 min. journey to Le Mans. There is also a direct Eurostar train service to Le Mans from London. The Le Mans railway station is 2.5 miles from the circuit.