At 22:00, the world champion Honda, driven by the trio Josh Hook, Mike Di Meglio and Alan Techer was one lap ahead of the BMW N.37 of the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and two laps ahead of the Yamaha N.7 of YART in the classification of this first round of the World Championship (EWC) whose start was given at 15:00 on the Bugatti circuit (4.185 km).
The three teams, who are among the favorites this weekend, engaged for the majority of the afternoon a fight for the lead, which should continue into the night, while the holder of the title at Le Mans, the Suzuki N.12 of the SERT is still far away.
And for good reason, the Marseillaise sung, the start in cob given under the cloudy sun but without rain, the race started on the hats of wheels ... and in gravel for the Suzuki.
18 laps late
On the first lap, Frenchman Gregg Black crashed in the first corner, forced to return to the pits before starting again almost half an hour later, to the applause of the public but 18 laps behind the lead of the race and this while the SERT had won the pole position the day before at the end of qualifying.
The trio Black, Sylvain Guintoli and Etienne Masson managed throughout the day to glean places, managing to climb back to 32nd place, but far from the lead (20 laps behind) and the prospect of a hat-trick after winning the 2021 and 2022 editions. But it's going to be a long night.
The race was also marked by three retirements: the Yamaha N.21 of the Spanish Bimtrazer Fly team which started with only one rider, Iker Carracedo, the Yamaha N.96 of MotoAin, fourth on the starting grid. And the N.24 from BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers.
In the Superstock category, which brings together the machines closest to production bikes, the Yamaha N.9 of the Tecmas MRP BMW Racing Team is in the lead.
The 24 Heures Motos, the first of four stages of the World Endurance Championship (EWC), ends on Sunday at 15:00. 54 pilots took the start.
© 2023 AFP