A long way from the glamour of Road America and the Hungaroring, the endurance racing calendar featured two other, one-off competitions last weekend: cycling’s Le Mans 24 Hours and a 24-hour pedal car race near Tours, France. And yes, Michelin was part of the action!

Le Mans hosted an entry of exactly 1,583 cyclists and 3,166 calves of steel for the second running of its 24-hour bike race which saw competitors get off to a traditional Le Mans start at 3pm on the Saturday afternoon. Team Vulco’s four riders covered 975km at an average speed of almost 40kph! Stéphane Sarrazin had entered the event but was forced to withdraw after being enrolled to contest the LMS round in Hungary.

Meanwhile, 20 teams were in action at the 960-metre Île Buda circuit in Saint Etienne de Chigny, near Tours, France. This race, which was first run in 1984, attracts an array of weird and wonderful machines with the drivers sporting fancy dress costumes! The winners of the 2010 event covered some 600km.

24 Hours of Le Mans