Equipped with a Volkswagen Amarock pick-up and clothed in their orange coveralls, the pick-up marshals provide strategic and logistical support to track marshals, and work in direct tandem with race direction. Their mission: help competitors in need, clean the track and extinguish all fires. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 54 volunteer pick-up marshals take turns providing their services.

Cédric Duclercq is one among them. Forty years of age, he resides in Sannois, France and has been a pick-up marshal for six years. "My first experience as a marsal dates back to the qualifying sessions at the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans. I was assigned to the Dunlop chicane. I was a volunteer firefighter and wanted to become a marshal to get close to the race," explains this great motorsports enthusiast.

So as to remain operational, the marshals take part in trainings. "This winter we took advantage of pick-up driving training provided by Le Mans Driver instructors. We learned to drive the vehicle in extreme conditions but also about the apexes, braking and stress management," describes the pick-up marshal. It was a very useful training since the Volkswagen Amarock weighs nearly three tons with 200 hp. The pick-up marshals also receive fire training. For the first time this year, they were trained in the in-car rescue of an injured driver as well.

Constantly on the alert, the pick-up marshals must be ready to intervene at all times. Each intervention has its importance, even the less spectacular ones. Cédric Duclercq lists the elements required to become a pick-up marshal: "You must be in good physical shape, be focused, not confuse speed with haste, and have good rapport with people." Because yes, to be a marshal is also teamwork and a human adventure. "You forge bonds and make real friends," underscores Duclercq who participates in about 15 races a year and wouldn't trade them for anything.

Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

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PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT BUGATTI, COUPES DE FRANCE PROMOSPORT, SATURDAY JULY 23 2016. Cédric Duclercq has been a pick-up marshal since 2010. He participates in about 15 races each year.