Paris (AFP)
The 24 Hours Motorcycles at Le Mans (Sarthe), initially scheduled for April 17 and 18 before being postponed 10 days ago, will finally take place on June 12 and 13 behind closed doors, the Automobile Club of the West (ACO), organizer of the event.
The 44th edition had been postponed due to the "current health context", and "due to the lack of visibility on the reception of the public, the event will take place behind closed doors," the statement said.
"Since the start of this crisis, our main objective has been to maintain our ordeals as much as possible," said Pierre Fillon, the president of the ACO, quoted in the press release.
"It was vital for the competitors, their partners and for the balance of the championship that the race took place, even behind closed doors," he said.
"We will once again do our utmost to guarantee maximum exposure for this edition, which promises to be once again exciting from a sporting point of view," said Pierre Fillon.
The Bugatti Le Mans circuit is also due to host the French Motorcycle Grand Prix from May 14 to 16, while in motorsport, the 89th 24 Hours of Le Mans, scheduled for June 12 and 13, has been postponed at the beginning of March to the 21 and 22 August in order to possibly welcome the public.
The 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans will be the inaugural event of the motorcycle endurance world championship, which has five events on its 2021 calendar.
Indeed, the 8 Hours of Oschersleben (Germany), scheduled for May 23, have been postponed, the International Motorcycling Federation announced on Monday.
"We really hope that it will be possible to postpone the 8 Hours of Oschersleben to a date as close as the health situation will allow," said FIM President Jorge Viegas.
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