At 3pm, Camille Lacourt, five-time World Swimming Champion and official starter, launched the 45th edition of the 24 heures Motos on the Bugatti circuit. After two successive editions behind closed doors, the 52 cars set off for 24 hours of competition in front of a full house. Eight manufacturers are taking on the Sarthe: BMW, Ducati, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda, Aprilia and Metiss.

American actor and producer Norman Reedus, best known for his role as Daryl Dixon in the hit series The Walking Dead, will wave the flag to start the 24H Motos on Saturday 20 April.

<p>The 24H Motos is the first round in the 2024 FIM EWC Endurance World Championship and will be held on Le Mans&rsquo; Bugatti Circuit on 20-21 April.</p>

<p>Today, the Automobile Club de l&rsquo;Ouest is delighted to reveal the name of the race&rsquo;s starter! This year, Norman Reedus, best-known for his role in &nbsp;The Walking Dead,&nbsp;will signal the start of the race and unleash the pack for the gruelling twice-round-the-clock battle. The American actor and motorbike fanatic was honoured with a star on the fabled Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2022. He reprised the iconic role of&nbsp;Daryl Dixon&nbsp;in the spin-off series&nbsp;The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, produced by&nbsp;AMC, in 2023. This year, he will also star in&nbsp;The Bikeriders, a Jeff Nichols film telling the story of a motorcycle club in the 1960s.</p>

<p><strong>Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l&rsquo;Ouest</strong>: <em>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re thrilled to welcome such a big name to give the start of the 24H Motos. The event is not to be missed as it kicks off the series of 24-hour races to be held at our circuits this year. It will be packed with intrigue and suspense with&nbsp;the intense on-track duels providing plenty of excitement for the spectators who will be back in force again this year. We&rsquo;d like to thank Norman for accepting our invitation and we look forward to introducing him to the 24H Motos and its unique atmosphere!&rdquo;</em><br />
<br />
<strong>Norman Reedus</strong>:<em>&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great honour to have been invited by the ACO to start the 24H Motos. I&rsquo;m a huge fan of everything bike-related, and have a great deal of respect and admiration for the riders who compete in this kind of race. I can&rsquo;t wait to experience the special 24H Motos and look forward to seeing you at the start on Saturday 20 April!&rdquo;</em></p>

<h4><u><strong>Tickets available!</strong></u></h4>

<p>The 24H Motos will kick off the fabulous 24-hour racing season at the Le Mans circuits.&nbsp;There are various ticketing offers for this eagerly awaited event, the opening round of the FIM EWC Championship.<br />
<br />
The 4-Day Race Week admission ticket is &euro;85. Under 16s (born after 21 April 2008) can enter the circuit free of charge (admission only) if accompanied by a paying adult.<br />
<br />
Other packages&thinsp;&ndash;&thinsp;such as the Concentration package and the 4-Day Admission + Grandstand ticket&thinsp;&ndash;&thinsp;are also available.<br />
<br />
The discount rate for ACO Members is &euro;51 for 4-Day Race Week admission (membership terms and conditions apply).</p>

Norman Reedus, starter of the 2024 24H Motos!

The 47th Le Mans 24H Motos is scheduled to take place from 18–21 April 2024. Teams wishing to take part in this legendary motorcycle endurance race can submit their applications from today.

<p>Preparations are well under way for the 47th running of the 24H Motos in April. Applications for the event that combines mechanical prowess, sporting excellence and human endeavour open today &ndash; Tuesday 16 January &ndash; and will close on Thursday 21 March 2024.</p>

<p>The entry list will be revealed shortly afterwards with the 24H Motos pre-tests due to be held on 2-3 April 2024.</p>

<p>These two days of testing are not mandatory but do give teams some welcome prep time ahead of the race.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The teams will take possession of the Bugatti paddock for the event itself on Monday 15 April before a day of private testing on the Tuesday. The scrutineering procedures and the briefing session for riders and team managers will be held on Wednesday 17 April. Free practice, night practice and qualifying will take place over the following two days. On Saturday 20 April, the flag will go down at 15:00 to signal the start of the race and launch the 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship season.&nbsp;</p>

Applications to enter the 24H Motos open today, Tuesday 16 January 2024

Teams contesting the FIM Endurance World Championship are being encouraged to showcase their commitment to sustainability through the creation of a brand-new award.

<p>The EWC Cares Trophy, created by championship promoter Discovery Sports Events, will recognise the sustainable efforts of registered teams in all activities directly associated with their EWC participation.</p>

<p>This new initiative is part of the EWC Cares program, launched last year as a key element of the global corporate social responsibility roadmap developed by Discovery Sports Events and which received an Honourable Mention from motorcycle racing&rsquo;s global governing body at the FIM Annual General Assembly last December.</p>

<p>By deploying a solid sustainability strategy across its portfolio of events, Discovery Sports Events is ensuring that each activity is managed with sustainability at its heart with a firm focus on controlling the environmental, social and economic impact of its actions.</p>

<h3>How it works?</h3>

<p>EWC Cares Trophy entrants will be required to submit their application one week prior to the event they contest.</p>

<p>Following each EWC round in which they take part, the measures carried out to deliver on their sustainability pledges will be examined. Steps taken by teams could include a social or environmental action and participants will be required to set these out in their application dossiers, which will serve as a roadmap of their sustainability commitment.</p>

<p>Each team&rsquo;s endeavours will be assessed again by a jury at the end of the season with the winner formally invited to the 2023 FIM Awards in Liverpool, UK on 2 December.</p>

<p>A member of the FIM Sustainability Commission, a journalist and a representative of Discovery Sports Events will form the three-person jury.</p>

<h3>Plenty of incentives</h3>

<p>As well as making vital contributions to the EWC&rsquo;s sustainability push, the EWC Cares Trophy winner will:</p>

<ul>
	<li>● Benefit from coverage of its sustainable actions on the official EWC platforms (social media, website, press release).</li>
	<li>● Be provided with a video highlighting its sustainability achievements to use on its channels.</li>
	<li>● Receive two invitations to the FIM Awards in Liverpool, UK on 2 December where the nominated recipient will be presented with the inaugural EWC Cares</li>
	<li>Trophy.</li>
	<li>● Be informed if any sustainable actions taken by the winning team are considered for wider implementation during the 2024 EWC season.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Jean-Baptiste Ley, EWC Series Director at Discovery Sports,</strong> said: <em>&ldquo;Raising awareness of sustainability and being more committed in every aspect of what we do in the organisation of the EWC remain key priorities for Discovery Sports Events. But it&rsquo;s essential we are not working alone, so we call on our teams to do everything possible to make sustainability an important target. We hope the EWC Cares Trophy will be an added incentive for them. And as it&rsquo;s a perpetual award the challenge will be for the inaugural winner to win again.&rdquo;</em></p>

Team to showcase sustainability commitment through all-new EWC Cares Trophy

At Le Mans, rock and racing go hand in hand. While the bikes put in a 24-hour performance, the circuit also hosts a music spectacular, with two evenings of concerts during the event. Fans are also treated to an array of activities and entertainment.

<p>This year marks the 46th running of the 24H Motos and fans will be kept entertained with two evenings of concerts. The 2023 programme showcases several genres of rock, from metal to rhythm&rsquo;n&rsquo;blues and psychedelic.</p>

<h2><u>Friday&nbsp;14&nbsp;aPRIL</u></h2>

<h3><u><strong>ASHEN</strong></u><br />
(Paris, MEtal)</h3>

<p>Ashen is a heavy metal outfit with unmistakeable rock influences, sure to put on a high-octane performance at the 24H Motos. The band came together in 2021 and it quickly became a cathartic outlet for its members, inspiring them to embrace a multi-faceted, introspective persona. Trauma, fear and anxiety fuel their creativity. With each new release, the band is transformed, both musically and visually, assuming a new identity and introducing new characters. At Le Mans, Ashen will showcase their first EP, soon to be released on the Out of Line Music label.</p>

<h2><u>SaTURDAY&nbsp;15&nbsp;aPRIL</u></h2>

<h3><u><strong>LITTLE ODETTA</strong></u><br />
(PARIS, ROCK)</h3>

<p>Little Odetta&rsquo;s roots reach back to the giants of &rsquo;60s and &rsquo;70s rock such as Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and The Doors, as well as the big names of Afro-American rhythm&rsquo;n&rsquo;blues, like Aretha Franklin and State James. The band&rsquo;s five members serve up a feisty kind of rock propelled by a powerful beat and a resounding melody, at times fused with a more ambient style that overlaps layers of organ sounds and guitar reverb to let the vocals shine.</p>

<h3><u><strong>JIM JONES ALL STARS</strong></u><br />
(LONDRES,&nbsp;RHYTHM&#39;N&#39;BLUES X ROCK&#39;N&#39;ROLL PSYCHE)</h3>

<p>The Jim Jones All STARS is the new band starring Jim Jones, leader of Thee Hypnotics, The Jim Jones Revue and Jim Jones &amp; The Righteous Mind. Nothing can stop Jones in his relentless pursuit of rock&rsquo;n&rsquo;roll&rsquo;s holy grail! With The Righteous Mind put on hold during lockdown, Jim Jones formed the All Stars for a chance to get back up on stage and rekindle his passion by delving into his earliest sources of inspiration. Joined by Gavin Jay and Elliot Mortimer of The Jim Jones Revue, the band features two saxophonists and delivers a range of irresistible rock&rsquo;n&rsquo;roll riffs combined with blistering soul power.</p>

<h2><b><u>Entertainment for all</u></b></h2>

<p>An awesome experience awaits racegoers at this year&rsquo;s 24H Motos, courtesy of the Automobile Club de l&rsquo;Ouest&rsquo;s outstanding programme of free entertainment.</p>

<h3>FAN ZONE AND&nbsp;KIDS ZONE</h3>

<p>This is THE place to be for spectators at the 24H Motos. Easy to spot within the circuit, the Fan Zone includes simulators, an immersive game to test your reflexes (Batak), a chance to try out electric motorbike handlebars, and huge screens so you don&rsquo;t miss a minute of the race. Children aged 3 to 12 can also join in the fun in their own special area: the Kid Zone. They&rsquo;ll have a blast on the mini-motorbike simulators, the bouncy castle, the climbing wall and more!</p>

<h3>RELAX ZONE</h3>

<p>Head here when you&rsquo;re ready for a break. Just like the drivers who need to rest between stints, you can take some time out in the Relax Zone, where you&rsquo;ll find a barber, hairdresser, nail technician and masseur.</p>

Entertainment at the 46th 24H Motos

<p>Flag in hand, Camille Lacourt, five-time World swimming champion, gave the starting signal to the 52 motorbikes participating in this 45th edition, a special one marked by the return of the public and the fans.<br />
 <br />
In front of a massive audience at the Bugatti circuit, the Yamaha #7 - Yart Yamaha Official Team EWC had problems to start after its pole position of yesterday. Suzuki #1 - Yoshimura Sert Motul, who started second, will be hoping for a repeat of last year's perfect race to claim another trophy.<br />
 <br />
In the Superstocks, the Yamaha #18 of Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore, with best time in class, will have their work cut out against their competitors and should put up a good fight against the Honda #55 of the National Motos Honda team.<br />
 <br />
24 hours of challenges, struggles and adventures await the 52 teams, as they embark on the most demanding of endurance races.<br />
 <br />
The start saw sunny skies and mild temperatures, with the whole race expected to take place in spring-like conditions.<br />
 <br />
See you tomorrow at 3 pm, when we’ll find out who the winners of this 45th edition are!</p>

24H MOTOS

24 Heures Motos: The 45th edition is launched!

Related News

Norman Reedus, starter of the 2024 24H Motos!

Applications to enter the 24H Motos open today, Tuesday 16 January 2024

Team to showcase sustainability commitment through all-new EWC Cares Trophy

Entertainment at the 46th 24H Motos

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