Latvian roller skating team MOTUM makes historic debut at legendary Le Mans track

Debut at Le Mans

Last weekend, the Latvian roller skating team MOTUM LATVIA traveled to France to take part in a 24-hour endurance relay at the legendary Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans. With nine athletes, the team wrote a new page in Latvian sports history by competing in this prestigious event for the first time.

Shortened distance due to heat

The originally planned 24 hours were reduced to 14 hours due to air temperatures reaching 38–40°C in the shade. The race was held in the evening, night, and morning hours to avoid the worst heat. "Given these conditions, we are happy the event was not cancelled and we had the chance to experience the race at Le Mans," said MOTUM representative Kārlis Vancovičs. He noted that the shorter time resulted in a faster pace and a more aggressive character.

Race dynamics and track features

The team divided the time into four segments: 4-3-3-4 hours. All participants raced in the daytime segments, while the night segments had two shifts of four skaters each. Exchanges happened every lap, with the baton handover especially challenging at night. The Bugatti Circuit is 4.185 km long, featuring an 800-meter uphill start followed by a 1.5 km winding downhill.

Results

In their debut year, the amateur team MOTUM LATVIA completed 85 laps, finishing 56th overall out of 434 teams. In the Prestige mixed category, the Latvian skaters ranked 15th out of 90.