LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Le Mans
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The 24 Hours of Le Mans was first run on May 26 and 27, 1923, through public roads around Le Mans. Originally planned to be a three year event awarded the Rudge Whitworth Triennial Cup, with a winner being declared by the car which could go the farthest distance over three consecutive 24 Hour races, this idea was abandoned in 1928 and overall winners were declared for each single year depending on who covered the farthest distance by the time 24 hours were up. The early races were dominated by French, British, and Italian drivers, teams, and cars, with Bugatti, Bentley, and Alfa Romeo being the dominant marques. Innovations in car design began appearing at the track in the late 1930s, with Bugatti and Alfa Romeo running highly aerodynamic bodywork in order to run down the Mulsannes Straight at faster speeds. In 1936 the race was cancelled due to general strikes in France, then with the outbreak of World War II in late 1939, the race went on a ten year hiatus while France reconstructed itself.
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Le Mans is the racing movie of choice according to you, so it is more than appropriate to suggest the film as a stocking stuffer for the racing fan. Sure, there's no dialogue for the first 38 minutes. But wouldn't dialogue just interfere with glorious sounds coming out of the Porches and Ferraris? More»
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Le Mans has a well-preserved old town (Cité Plantagenêt... called Vieux Mans) and a cathedral: Cathédrale St-Julien, dedicated to St Julian of Le Mans, who is honoured as the city's first bishop. There are remnants of a Roman wall in the old town and Roman baths by the river.
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The TGV stops in Le Mans, and many TGV West-bounded trains leaving from Paris stop in Le Mans. From Gare Montparnasse in Paris, there are trains every hour or so, and the 210-km trip takes 55 minutes. There is ... a direct TGV service from Charles de Gaulle Airport (through TGV bypassing Paris to go to Nantes or Bordeaux), the trip takes 90 minutes, and the ticket train to Le Mans can be combined with your incoming flight, as if it was a connecting domestic flight. Check with your agency. From Le Mans, you can easily access Bretagne, Bordeaux or Nantes.
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The Le Mans 24 Hours went on with Jacky Ickx winning his first race (sharing his Ford GT40 with Jackie Oliver) in 1969, the pair winning by just 120 meters. Two years later, the 1971 race was the fastest ever, before changes at Arnage slowed the lap times, with Gijs van Lennep and Helmut Marko averaging 138mph in their Porsche 917.
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Founded in pre-Roman times, Le Mans was captured by William the Conqueror in 1063. It later suffered many sieges during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) between England and France. The English king Henry II was born here. The Germans occupied the city during the Franco-Prussian War and again during World War II. Population 144,500 (2005 estimate).
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