Those of us who have
wandered around the paddock area behind the Grandstand
will possibly have seen a young girl, sporting oversize overalls, or the same
girl sitting alongside
the pit lane, biting her nails, whilst high velocity machines pass within
inches during a
practice session or race. Well, that little girl has ‘become of age’... Estelle
LeBlond, daughter
of sidecar exponents, Francois and Sylvie, was sixteen in May and now races her
own Shellbourne
Honda outfit. Dad was obviously keen for Estelle to follow her parents into
sidecar
racing as he bought the outfit for her. Experienced ballast, fifty year old
Loic Ansquer, also
known as Lolo, who took part in his first TT in 1985, has been one of her
passengers.
We’ll let Estelle tell her story of a meeting at Albi...
Hello, everybody. It’s
my first race impressions. We arrive on Friday morning at the
circuit of Albi and we meet again Lolo (the mercenary passenger) at the gate.
First free practice, we go away, 4 laps and stop. “Hum, Dad, is it quite normal
it’s
moving so ? Maybe, I’m too much close to the inside, or maybe ....”
And Dad and Mommy laugh a lot. They reply it’s normal it’s moving a lot.
“Go and race the TT ....” “Ok, so, flat out, it’s the only way
We go back on the track. So, it’s really better when you don’t have that
kind of question inside your mind. In fact, to be a
sidecar rider, you don’t have to ask any question!!
During the evening practice, Johnny times some laps and we only need one second
less to qualify. Great !
On Saturday, timed practices, GLOOPS!! In the morning, the practice is stopped
because of some oil on the track. Go back to the pits and to the screens: with
only 1 timed
lap recorded, we are 3 seconds faster!! We can do it!!
The pressure goes down and disappears to make room to joy. WE QUALIFIED!!
First thing to do: big kisses to Dad and Mommy and I call my sister to announce
the good news ( and to have some news of the cats !!).
In the evening, we lap mainly to learn the track again and again. It’s the only
way.
Also, I have a long discussion with Lolo to know how we could be better here
and there ...
During Friday, I was stressed about qualifications. On Saturday, I was stressed
about
Sunday races ....And Sunday is there : race day. But, everybody is quiet ...
“What a mess, why are they so calm. They forgot it’s race day. Maybe we have to
tell them!!”
Don’t worry, I’m not like that. I hang around in the paddocks for years. I
deduce it’s
normal I’m the only one to be so nervous!! 11.20 am : warm-up lap, we place
ourselves on the starting grid. We are not disturbed : we’re alone on the last
line !! The red lights move to green and only one thought in my mind : “They
are all crazy !!” But, it’s so great ! Too much.
Thinking about that and they are all gone away. I’m stuck on my place. The only
time
I had to use the clutch as now, it was on open roads with my tiny Aprilia 50cc
RS.
Let’s go ahead!! But, during the race, the engine is losing power. And we
linger. And
where are those boards about the remaining laps? How many of them? Woaw! My
parents
are stopped alongside the track. Woaw! Le Bail too !!
Half a lap before the end (but I knew that after the race because I didn’t ever
find the
boards), the engine misfires. So, I decide to stop at the place where my
parents are. They
shout me to carry on and finish the race. Only one half lap! And Lolo fidgets.
What says he?
So, as I’m nasty, we continue and see the chequered flag!!
Yeah, we did it!! It was a close shave. But we did it! We go back to the
paddock. My
parents come back ... oily (the oil filter was unscrewed despite the wire).
Their outfit is cleaned
and oil is refilled. My engine is changed during the afternoon in time before
the second race.
Thanks God, there was a lot of delay because of 3 starts for the 1000 class
race.
So, we start our race very late, but we start. This time, we jump ahead and we
gain
ground behind Gérard and Françoise (some good friends) ahead of us. We are just
fol-lowing them and, who is standing alongside the track at the same place as
this morning?
My parents, waving their arms, encouraging me. Their engine didn’t like the
loss of oil this morning.
Next
lap, I’m flat out in the long straight and the machine feels like to throw me
in
the kitty sand. I have to pull hard the handlebars, expecting that Lolo is
always there! Flat
out again. The brakes now! And the machine tacks from port to starboard.
Impossible to
drive straight on. Now, Gérard and Françoise are gone away and, me, I’m furious
and I shout
inside my helmet : “MERDE (in French), not now Kiki (it’s the name of my
sidecar), don’t drop
us, we can follow them, the engine is running so well, not now!” decided not to
abandon
because of mechanical vagaries. But, it’s the only solution, instead of driving
off the track !
So,
we finish our lap, slowly, to the pits. The front tyre got a puncture, and we
watch
the other teams finishing their race... I have to accept this kind of trouble.
At
last, I spent a wonderful weekend. I discovered plenty full of things so
rewarding. And I send a cheerful thank you to all those who encourage me, to
Lolo who came from so far away (Spain). And a big bravo to the marshals
because, despite the rain, the wind, the snow (?), they are present.
Despite her youth, Estelle has ridden 125 Aprilia and Guzzi machines, but her
dream
is to ride the Voxan Café Racer. Still a student, Steloune [her nickname] has
already competed
at Ledenon, Albi and Magny Cours circuits, with her fondest memory, the half
point
she gained at the latter in a French Championship race. For her first meeting,
at Ledenon, for
which she failed to qualify [her biggest disappointment to date] her passenger
was Florence
Sec. What of sponsorship?....La Vinsobraise, the Cote du Rhone cellar where her
Dad works.
What ambitions for our young Led Zeppelin and Sting fan?.... to win the French
Sidecar Championship and to race at the TT? Why the TT?...because the TT is the
most beautiful race in the world.
We thank Estelle for ‘talking’ to us and wish her every success in the
future. |