24h Le Mans
24 HOURS CENTENARY – THE LE MANS EXCEPTION ⎮ In addition to influential personalities from motorsport, other world class athletes have had the privilege of giving the start at the race, like French cyclist Raymond Poulidor and Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal, four decades apart.
One year after the end of his professional career, Raymond Poulidor lowered the French flag at the 1978 24 Hours, won by the Renault-Alpine A442 B of Jean-Pierre Jaussaud/Didier Pironi. In 2018, Rafael Nadal watched on as fellow countryman Fernando Alonso reached the top step on the podium for his rookie participation.
Raymond Poulidor reached infamy by never winning the Tour de France or wearing the overall classification leader's yellow jersey despite 14 participations and three second-place finishes, earning the nickname the "éternel second." However, his sporting career did include victories at the Tour of Spain in 1964 and two Paris-Nice runnings, and he reached the podium four times in world road cycling championships. This remarkable career, along with an undeniable popularity until his death in 2019, certainly contributed to his appointment as an official starter at the 24 Hours.
Another cyclist seen at Le Mans, though as a driver, was six-time Olympic gold medal winner Sir Chris Hoy in 2016 after winning the LMP3 class in the 2015 European Le Mans Series. Hoy represented Algarve Pro Racing with Andrea Pizzitola and Michael Munemann. The team and all three drivers were rookies, but flawless consistency earned them 17th place overall (12th in LMP2).
Forty years after Raymond Poulidor, another top athlete emblematic of his era was invited to give the start at the 24 Hours. In 2018, the Spanish tennis star waved the French flag to release competitors at the 86th running of the race. That year, fellow countryman Fernando Alonso, the official starter four years earlier, made his debut at Le Mans and claimed the top step on the podium at the wheel of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing's #8 Toyota TS050 Hybrid along with Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima.
Nadal is the most successful Grand Slam tennis player to date, matching Novak Djokoviv with 22 wins each. He is considered by experts to be the best player on clay in history and has held the win record at Roland-Garros (14) since 2022. In fact, Nadal served as official starter at Le Mans just six days after winning his 11th French Open!
But what is the relationship between Nadal and the 24 Hours? Richard Mille, President of the FIA Endurance Commission, and also Nadal's sponsor, won over the Iberian athlete who admitted to feeling "impatient to discover this spectacular new playing field, its drivers and major players. We all share a taste for competition, for surpassing oneself. This is why this experience thrills me in advance, and I can assure you that when I wave the flag to give the start, it will be with great pride and immense emotion."
While these two international sportsmen have had the honour of giving the start at the 24 Hours, many others have had the privilege of participating..
The similarities between motorsport and alpine skiing are obvious, namely sense of trajectory and speed. Three-time Olympic champion at the Grenoble Winter Olympics in 1968, Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy took the start in the 24 Hours one year later at the wheel of an official Alpine A210 shared with future endurance racing star Bob Wollek, himself a former member of the French ski team.
Competitive skiing was once again spotlighted at Le Mans with the arrival of Luc Alphand in motorsport. The three-time 1997 Ski World Cup gold medalist formed his own team, Luc Alphand Aventure, participating eight times in the 24 Hours.
In 2012, another top notch athlete, known worldwide for winning the 1998 World Cup, joined the ranks of drivers at Le Mans. Fabien Barthez took part in Test Day at the wheel of a Formula Le Mans prototype (predecessor to the current LMP3s). Two years later, he lined up on the starting grid in a Ferrari 458 Italia fielded by Team Sofrev-ASP in the LMGTE Am class. Barthez finished 29th overall with Anthony Pons and Soheil Ayari.
And so in 2016 began the LMP2 adventure of Panis-Barthez Competition formed by the French football team's former goalkeeper and former Formula 1 driver Olivier Panis. Barthez finished 12th that year in a Ligier with Paul-Loup Chatin and Timothé Buret.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans continues to fascinate royalty, adventurers, captains of industry and great international athletes. Who will serve as official starter at the historic Centenary running this year?
PHOTOS (Copyright - ACO Archives): LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SATURDAY 16 JUNE 2018. At top, from left to right: Jacky Ickx (six-time winner), Pierre Fillon (ACO President), Rafael Nadal and Jean Todt (FIA President at the time); at centre, Rafael Nadal on the Race Direction command bridge, French flag in hand; above, the Spanish tennis player got a taste for the track during pre-race ceremonies with two-time winner Alex Wurz (1996 and 2009).
