My eighth year competing and my first year captaining. It's about time I wrote a review!…read moreA brief warning before we start - If you aren't interested in inline skating, this event and my review are probably of no interest... Still here? Then let's get on with it. A little history first... This event began in 2000 when a group of French skaters watched the Le Mans 24hr race and thought "we can do that". At least that's how I'd like to believe it. It's based on the Circuit Bugatti, a 4.185km course comprising of an initial hill of 600m @3.5% (rising roughly 25 metres) followed by straights and descents for the remainder of the track. Trust me on this, 600m doesn't seem very far, but when you have no gears and it's hot... it can and will hurt... It runs from 4pm Saturday until 4pm Sunday, traditionally the last weekend of June. So on to the review! I suppose if I've been going for 8 years of the 15 it's fair to say that I'm a fan of the event, even if there have been a few times when I've said it'd be my last (I returned from the my most recent on yesterday!). It's gotten better over the years and I'll break my review into different sections:- Organisation **** Pretty top notch - registration is a breeze and they do give plenty of time to update details prior to the race. The only gripes we had was the timetable, although not such a bad thing (for example registration opened from 7am instead of 8am, so we could have gone earlier if we wanted to - I didn't). Also some confusion about when the pits close (very important, as it decides who is left on track at the end of the race to continue skating laps until the actual finish). But all in all, pretty slick, actual registration and close out is well organised from my point of view and there didn't seem to be any hiccups. The Stadium and facilities ***** Probably the only major race track I've been to apart from Goodwood and this is a heck of a lot bigger. It's a little spread out if you're walking, but skating around it is a breeze! The pits where the teams are based are big and although there are a few teams allocated to each pit, it never seems to be a massive fight for space. Teams seem to just spill out the back of the stadium where there is more space, if a little exposed. The expo has stands from all the major manufacturers as well as a few of the major shops in France. For the most part the manufacturers seem to have good prices, but those shop stands... they can be a little gouging... Food has improved year on year with this year being the best we've seen since the beginning. Various grilled meats, different sauces for the pasta and freshly cooked frites (not from frozen!), a crepe and churro stand was also in attendance. Not the cheapest food but tasty and filling. We chipped in for a "VIP" suite this year, basically one of those rooms normally hired out by some firm to take their clients to a big race. We turned it into a dormroom... At €600, maybe not a great value, but it was nice to have a climate controlled room with a view of the track, right above where we needed to be, compared to walking to the campsite (see below). Campsite *** Good value at €10 for the entire stay from Friday to Monday. It's a campsite, so it's a little basic, two shower/toilet blocks, one older than the other, so has smaller showers and squat toilets. There is a lot of broken glass unfortunately, especially as it's only a couple of weeks after the Le Mans classic. Plenty of bins and a fair amount of shade if you set up carefully. There is a food stand too that cooks for a fair amount of the weekend. Only downside really is that it's about a 15-20 minute walk from the track depending on how tired you are... The Race ***** So much fun! From the classic Le Mans start, to the other competitors and supporters. It's a very inclusive race, lots of professionals mixed in with the amateurs and beginners. No one really looks down on any of the teams. Pace lines can be made up of lycra clad speedskaters and people in shorts and tshirts, as long as you are fast enough, you're welcome to join. Every year that I've been able, I've gone, skated in the sunshine and torrential rain. Every year I've felt my muscles seize and been in pain the following week, but it's not about the pain, it's about the fun and camaraderie that you have. Help the solo skaters and duos as they struggle round (those crazy, crazy people) and see just how fast you can go. Our team split into shifts and relayed our way around the course for 24 hours, grabbing sleep where and when possible and supporting each other along the way. This is very much a team event, you rely on each other to help you out, even people in other teams encourage each other on - with over 400 teams competing it's not about the winning, just the taking part (at least for the most of us). So that's my review! There are things that could be better but they don't detract from what is an amazing weekend and a regular fixture in my diary.