OLYMPIC legend Sir Chris Hoy completed the world's most gruelling motorsport race, the Le Mans 24-Hours, on his first attempt and claimed it was as good as winning another gold medal.
Piloting his Nissan-powered Algarve Pro Racing Ligier LMP2 sportscar – and partnered by the Frenchman Andrea Pizzitola and fellow Briton Michael Munemann – Hoy finished 12th in class and 18th overall.
“It feels just like winning another gold medal. It’s been the most exhilarating experience,” said the 40-year-old as he drank a celebratory beer. “Before the start of the race, our target was just to finish the race.
“People don’t realise how tough this is. The mechanics tossing and turning in chairs, trying to grab a few minutes sleep in the garage; the physical and mental demands of a triple or quadruple stint; it’s really tough.
“To make it to the finish, for me it’s a huge achievement. I’m really proud to have been part of this team. I knew it would be tough. I didn’t underestimate Le Mans. I did three stints and the effort didn’t hit me until after the night triple.
“I had a massage and an hour-and-a-quarter’s sleep; and I think I slept too much. I woke up and felt drunk with tiredness, almost jet-lagged. It was about 7am and I was back in the car around 8.20am for my final stint.
“I felt really rough. But once I’d had a coffee and some food, I was fine. Now, having achieved my goal of not only racing at Le Mans, but finishing it, I am just so, so happy. I can’t wait to come back.”
Fellow Scot, Kirkcaldy’s Jonny Adam, powered his Aston Martin to sixth in the highly competitive GTE Pro class, but there was frustration and disappointment for two other Scots.
While the Extreme Speed Motorsport Ligier-Nissan of Airdrie’s Ryan Dalziel finished 16th in LMP2, the 67 Ford GT of Bathgate’s Marino Franchitti endured a miserable race.
Gear selection problems meant the car started from the pitlane, two laps behind the leaders. Worse was to follow a few laps later when the problems resurfaced, requiring almost two-hours in the garage.
While Franchitti fought back to finish ninth in GTE Pro, he was left contemplating what might have been: his team-mates in the three other Fords finished first, third and fourth.
At the head of the main LMP1 field, Porsche won its 18th Le Mans in dramatic style.
Having spent the bulk of the race behind the Toyota TS050 Hybrid on the 8.45-mile circuit, the Porsche 919 Hybrid inherited the lead when the Japanese car ground to a halt on the start-finish line with three minutes remaining.
The Toyota, driven my Japan’s Kazuki Nakajima, Swiss Sebastien Buemi and Brit Anthony Davidson, lost power on the penultimate lap, allowing Porsche to clinch its 18th Le Mans win.
It also allowed the sister Toyota of Brit Mike Conway, Frenchman Stephane Sarrazin and Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi, to be promoted to second.
Toyota has now finished second at Le Mans five times.
Audi, which endured a testing 24 hours with its brand new R18 Hybrid, took the final step on the podium with its car driven by England’s Oliver Jarvis, Brazilian Lucas di Grassi, and Frenchman Loic Duval.
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