Page 93 - AGC-Journal-2016

AGC JOURNAL 2016

Mosses and through the Gruyere National Day Five famous for the 24 hour race. The lap on
Park, closely followed by the Grand Saint the endurance race is actually 80% on the
Bernard Pass which has some of the best public roads.
hairpin turns in the entire Alps and the It was a late start on day five to go on The Final Day
scenery again was spectacular for the a lap of the Col de Turini World Rally
entire day. The highest point of the trip Championship stage. It’s world famous
was cresting the summit on the Saint for the amount of hairpin turns and once
Bernard Pass at 8,840 feet. visible you understand why. From almost
everywhere as you drive up, you can see
back on your own route for up to ten miles
and a lot of it vertically. A brief stop at the
summit to take in the motoring heritage
that is on display at the cafés and then
down the other side of the track.
In the evening we assembled to take all
of the participants on a guided tour of
the Monaco Formula One circuit, with
Fiat Factory Turin Armco barriers ever present and the Grid Le Mans
Lines a permanent fixture you really do
Turin was the setting for the original get a feel of the circuit. Casino Square in
Italian Job film and what a coincidence; Monte Carlo is currently undergoing huge The final day and an early start to make
we just happen to be staying in the Fiat renovations so we had to skip that part of the Calais to Dover crossing and get to
Factory, now thankfully a very nice hotel, the track but to drive through the tunnel Waltham Abbey, North London, to finish
giving spectacular views of the roof top test and enter the Swimming Pool complex was the event in good time. Everyone was back
track that was in the film. definitely a tick off the bucket list. safe and sound with their vehicles, except

Day Four Days Six and Seven for one that we’d had to leave in France
with a broken gear box.
On the fourth day we organised an entry Day Six and a slow trip out of Monaco Endnote
onto the banked circuit on the roof top on our way to Girona, a well kept secret
and even had access for three vehicles: by the Spanish as it’s a full medieval city I had covered 3,159 miles in nine days,
an Italian supercar flanked either side by that Game of Thrones use yearly to film probably because I couldn’t resist the
British built TVRs. The trek up the access a lot of their scenes. The seventh day and opportunity to go back over some of the
ramps to get access to the eighth floor we were entering the Pyrenees mountain amazing roads, but definitely meeting
circuit was worth it as the views of the Alps range. The journey through the Pyrenees the minimum distance required for the
that surrounded Turin cannot be seen from had spectacular views, ski villages and challenge. To top it all off we were able to
the ground. Now off to Monaco. empty roads with tight twists and amazing
gradients. announce that we had managed to raise
over £124,000 for SSAFA which has also
One of the participants had moved out brought our overall fund raising to a little
to the French Pyrenees so knew the roads more than £388,000. Not bad for four
well. He organised a small event in events.
Luchon, situated on the Spanish/French
border. On arriving we were treated like
stars, given parking spaces outside of the
main government building and locals
Grand Saint Bernard Pass had brought all of their vintage cars out
to display with us. With over 1,000 people
Turin to Monaco gave people two choices: from the town to wish us well it was a
stick to the Autostrada and hit the fantastic send off as we departed for the
Mediterranean early, following it along French motorway system and headed up to
over deep ravines, long tunnels and Pau, the home of one of the oldest Formula
spectacular views, or a little trip along One circuits dating back to the early 1920s.
the Autostrada before cutting up and
over the Italian/French Alps, with the Day Eight
spectacular views. In Monaco we were
staying in a hotel directly onto the sea
front that was formally owned by David On the eighth day we headed from
Coulthard. Ideally situated as it was only Pau to Le Mans, almost entirely on the
a five minute walk around a small marina motorways. In Le Mans we visited the In Monaco. Mick Clark is on the left
before you were in central Monaco itself. Motor Museum located at the circuit

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