Val de Vienne circuit

Le Vigeant-Val de vienne motorcircuit.
Between Poitiers and Confolens
in the flat centre of France.

Considered a very technical circuit
and probably built with car racing in mind,
it is similar in size to Oulton Park

The main straight(the pits straight)
is 500 meters.
There are a plethora of continuous radius
and double apex bends.

The back straight is 300 meters long.
The track surface is excellent with very few bumps.
Exit views are very limited on many of the bends
and good track knowledge is vital.

The fast guys lap at around 1minute 40 secs.

Anns best time here on a stock FZR400 is 2minutes 24 secs.

By way of comparison,

none of our friends,
CBR 600 mounted
could better 2 minutes 36 secs!

The best trackdays are organised by TEAM 18
-the Pompiers(fire brigade)
-18 is the emergency tel no -like 999 in the UK;
They run a very successful
endurance road race team
and are all bike mad.

The days are seen as a legitimate way
of letting road riders test their machines
in safe,controlled , conditions.

Heres a piccie of me on Ann,s FZR400

Quick but soooo cramped

I had backache for a week!

All sorts turn up
-kids on 125 screamers,
pukka racers,
even seen a guy on a boxer BMW
with panniers attached!
He was no slouch either!

Riding kit is optional
-from full leathers to jeans and trainers!
As long as you are insured
and the bike has all the legal documents
-your safety is YOUR responsibility
(Typical French pragmatism)

5 sessions of 25minutes are the norm.
Same as UK trackdays except for the cost-80euros(£50)

There are some seriously quick French riders!
Probably because they have grown up with bikes,
riding mopeds from 14 years old,
riding skills seem high.

I cant remember ever seeing an accident
stopping play during one of the sessions

Le Vigeant also hosts some interesting events.
In July there is a charity day hosted by the Ferrari Owners Club
-200 Ferraris and other exotic cars
-quite a sight;

The best weekend is the “trofeo Rosso”
-an exclusively Italian bike only gathering

-19th and 20TH July
All day track sessions enable fans to see classic Italian machines
(road and race)
being used as they were intended.
I hope to attend again this year
If I do

-I,ll show you some photos,later.

(Bit pressed with the housebuilding work

-keep watching )

Bye for now:P

Piste again!

TRACKDAYS IN FRANCE

The season is nigh. Book up now.
French trackdays fall into 2 main categories-”jour de securité” and “jour d,entrainement”.
The former are literally “safety days” and are organized by the fire services, police and the like, to allow riders to discover their machine’s limits in a controlled environment. In other words a normal trackday!

Cost usually 80/100 euros per day for 4 or 5 sessions of 25miutes duration. Protective clothing is recommended-leathers etc. However the fastest guys seem to often favour the protection of tracksuits and trainers-I kid you not!

Its quite disconcerting being pushed off the racing line by a guy on a BMW R1100 sporting a full luggage set-panniers and topbox mounted. This happened to me at Val de Vienne circuit a couple of years ago. French riders generally ride very well-starting at 14 years old on mopeds obviously helps,and seems to mean most French people are biker friendly, even if after 18 they gave up 2 wheels for 4.

You will need a driving licence, a logbook and insurance for the bike and a disclaimer filled in. You need to choose a group that matches your skill level-slow, medium, fast.

Jour d,entrainement
These are “training days” and can be “libres entrainement”, available to the public, with or without racing licences or days organized by the circuits themselves for licence holders only-check first. Some trackdays are organised for cars and bikes on the same day, with sessions alternating between 2 wheelers and 4 wheelers throughout the day. Usually the sessions are paid for on the day. Sessions normally cost 16 to 20 euros per 20 minute blast.
The days follow exactly the same format as the safety days-except possession of an FFM race licence means no compulsory insurance, as this is covered by the racing body.
Same paperwork, same timetable etc.
Protective clothing is strictly enforced on these days;
You will need- 1 or 2 piece leathers, integral lid, gloves, boots, rigid back protector and knee protectors. These items are compulsory.

Where and when?
A good start would be to visit www.motoplanete.com
The site features days at “Le Vigeant”(val de Vienne circuit near Poitiers)
If you scan down the arranged days and visit some of featured club websites,you,ll find other tracks listed.
Days are organized all over France-Ledenon, Ales and Nogaro in the south; Carol, Magny Cours and Dijon in the north.
Many circuits organize their own trackdays-visit their sites direct and book. A list of all French circuits is posted on the FFM website.

Two alternatives to check out are;
a) Croix en Ternois near Boulogne in the North-they organize their own trackdays direct via their website-the circuit is very convenient for those living in the south of England.
b) Check out Dunlopmotodays.com
Dunlop are renting circuits this summer, all over France, and offering FREE trackdays for riders on Dunlop shod bikes-NO REALLY!
Booking opens six weeks prior to each event and needless to say soon fill up-BE QUICK!
(typically, Dunlop dont make a tyre that fits the FZR 18inch rear wheel-only Bridgestone Battlax come in suitable sporty compound!)And of course, Bridgestone dont run training days, do they? (I never win raffles either!)
Well thats about it;

the FZR is now being repainted.
Tyres are ordered and a Goodridge braided hose kit in the post;
The logbook has been transferred and insurance paid for.
Anns FZR 400 is ready to roll;Later I,ll post some pictures of Val de Vienne trackdays for you.In the meantime here are some Cadwell Park pictures from the past-Ann on her Kawasaki Green!Honda RS125 and me on my old Honda CL305 , beautifully prepared and a joy to ride(thanks to Pete Rhodes at Honda Racing Services)
I,ll tell you more about this bike and some other favourites in a later post.

Stay on the Piste.