Renet winner of ‘Le Trèfle Lozérien’ / Renet As de Trèfle

Already winner of the Trèfle Lozérien in 2011, Pierre Alexandre Renet (Husaberg Michelin) claimed his second success in this race, winning the event after three days of racing among more than 500 other riders. The reigning E2 World Champion had to fight during three days with Julien Gauthier (Sherco Michelin), finally defeated by only eleven seconds after fifteen stages!

It’s the first time in the long history of this race that the weather was so cold, and on Saturday morning the riders even discovered some snow on the race! This autumnal weather didn’t disturbed the event, scheduled on three days with five timed practice stages each day.

Winner of four stages on Friday, Julien Gauthier was the first leader of the race and ended the first day three seconds ahead of Pierre Alexandre Renet and nine seconds ahead of Emmanuel Albepart (Beta). Gauthier confirmed his great shape with another fastest time in the first stage on Saturday, but then Renet reacted and won the three next stages to come back in Mende as leader of the race on Saturday evening, even in Antoine Meo (KTM) won again the fifth stage. Starting the third and last day only five seconds ahead of Gauthier, Renet lost the leadership in the first stage as he conceded fourteen seconds to his rival! Jeremy Tarroux (Sherco Michelin) was the second winner of the day, but then Renet won the last three stages to secure the overall win. Gauthier finished second eleven seconds behind him, while Tarroux got the third position after his excellent ride on Sunday.

Results: 1.Renet (Husaberg Michelin) ; 2.Gauthier (Sherco Michelin) ; 3.Tarroux (Sherco Michelin) ; 4.Bourgeois (Yamaha Michelin) ; 5.Albepart (Beta) ; 6.Joly (Honda) ; 7.Deparrois (Yamaha) ; 8.Meo (KTM) ; 9.Larrieu (Husaberg Michelin) ; 10.Lebrun (KTM) ; etc….

Déjà vainqueur du Trèfle Lozérien en 2011, Pierre Alexandre Renet (Husaberg Michelin) signe son second succès dans cette classique, en s’imposant après trois journées de course et devant plus de 500 autres pilotes. Le Champion du Monde E2 en titre n’a toutefois pas eu la tâche facile, Julien Gauthier (Sherco Michelin) lui menant jusqu’au bout la vie dure et ne s’inclinant que pour onze secondes !

Jamais on n’avait eu aussi froid au Trèfle, la neige s’invitant même à cette fête de l’enduro samedi matin ! Ces conditions automnales n’ont toutefois pas influencé la course, disputée sur trois jours avec pas moins de cinq spéciales au programme de chaque journée.

Parti en trombe vendredi en s’imposant dans quatre des cinq spéciales, Julien Gauthier pointait au commandement à l’issue de la première journée, suivi à trois petites secondes par Pierre Alexandre Renet lui même suivi à six secondes par Emmanuel Albepart (Beta).

Si Gauthier poursuivait sur le même rythme samedi en remportant la première épreuve du jour, Pierre Alexandre allait répliquer en s’imposant dans les trois spéciales suivantes et en rentrant à Mende en leader de l’épreuve, tant bien même Antoine Meo (KTM) signait le scratch dans l’ultime spéciale. Avec seulement cinq secondes d’avance sur Gauthier l’affaire n’était pas gagnée, et Gauthier reprenait d’ailleurs la tête du Trèfle dès la première spéciale dimanche, Renet concédant pas moins de quatorze secondes !

Dauphin de Jeremy Tarroux (Sherco Michelin) dans la seconde spéciale, Renet allait finir la journée en trombe en s’imposant dans les trois derniers chronos pour remporter l’épreuve avec onze secondes d’avance sur Gauthier et quarante sept sur Jeremy Tarroux auteur d’une excellente journée.

Vidéos :

Jour 1 :

Jour 2 :

Jour 3 :

from TWOWHEELSBLOG

Buy your ticket to Goodwood or Pebble Beach at RM’s Villa Erba sale

Ownership of the ‘right’ car brings you more than the car itself: it opens the door to unofficial membership of an exclusive club, potentially granting you insider access to the world’s greatest events. So which car might you select from RM Auctions’ 25 May Villa Erba sale as a possible ticket to the best gatherings? 

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Colorado Grand


Probably the least well known of our five events, but arguably the most worthy in that it generates some USD 300,000 each year for small Colorado charities, this five-day September tour covers 1000 miles through the Rockies and is solely for pre-1961 sports and race cars ‘of distinction’. This 1957 BMW 503 Cabriolet could well be the ideal mount, with its recently rebuilt 3.2-litre V8 suggesting it’s tough enough even for the Rockies. RM’s estimate stands at EUR 260,000 – 340,000. 

Auction listing in the Classic Driver Marketplace… >>

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Goodwood Festival of Speed


On 12-14 July, it’s time once again for that fabulous garden party that is the Festival of Speed, where style is (almost) as important as the cars on the famous hillclimb. Clearly, to stand even a chance of being invited to take part, you’ll need an extremely special car that – preferably – is more than a little bit rapid uphill. How about a 1927 Grand Prix Bugatti, said by RM to be “highly original and well-known”? Yours for EUR 750,000 – 1,000,000, if the estimate is accurate. 

Auction listing in the Classic Driver Marketplace…>>

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1000 Miglia


To be accepted for the annual Mille Miglia retrospective, you ideally want a car that has genuine provenance in Italy’s 1000-mile road race. You could hardly do better, then, than the 1947 Mille Miglia Cisitalia works team car – the 202 SMM Nuvolari Spyder – that finished fourth overall that year. Add to that the fact that this is a unique, all-steel prototype and that it was first raced by Cisitalia founder Piero Dusio, and RM’s estimate of EUR 450,000 – 550,000 seems more than reasonable. 

Auction listing in the Classic Driver Marketplace… >>

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Le Mans Classic


Another car with Mille Miglia history, this 1933 MG K3 Magnette would also be a contender for the Le Mans Classic, that wonderful series of historic races that take place throughout a 24-hour period, every two years. Boasting an extensive pre-War race history, the supercharged six-cylinder racing car was the Earl Howe Mille Miglia works team car in 1933; and, with an estimate of EUR 580,000 – 700,000, would surely stand an excellent chance of gaining entry to the 1000-mile retrospective, as well as to Le Mans, or perhaps to the Monaco Historique? 

Auction listing in the Classic Driver Marketplace… >>

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Pebble Beach Concours


And now for something a little different. When it comes to Pebble Beach, it’s not speed that counts, but sublime, exotic styling – the sort that makes onlookers stop in their tracks and stare. And few cars in the world would attract more attention than the 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Coupé Superprofilée, ‘La Petite Royale’, said by RM to be “Jean Bugatti’s most exotic coachwork design” with a “beautifully detailed interior in ostrich leather and walnut”. The Bugatti Royale’s little sister, at a (relatively) palatable estimate of EUR 840,000 to 1,000,000, could be just the job for a trip to the concours lawn. 

Auction listing in the Classic Driver Marketplace… >>



As potential buyers are no doubt aware, no car can ever guarantee entry to an invitation-only event such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed or Pebble Beach. We aim only to suggest the ‘right’ sort of car to be considered for an invitation.

Related Links All lots to be featured at RM Auctions' Villa Erba sale can be found in the Classic Driver Marketplace

Text: Charis Whitcombe (Classic Driver)
Photos: RM Auctions

Ad Hoc #3 Cagiva 350 “Poptah”

We saw this cafe racer from Ad Hoc motorcycles a month ago and chased David for a feature, but he quite rightly insisted on making us wait until he’d had these photos taken, and it was a good call. The bike looks fantastic.

Although it looks at first glance like a Ducati, the base for the build is an Alazzurra Cagiva 350, which you could describe as the little half sister of the Ducati Pantah, in fact they share a chassis and engine – apart from the displacement.

As with every Ad Hoc build the bike was completely dismantled, with brackets remade, as well as the usual modifications to the rear end of the chassis to support the cafe racer seat.

The tank is and NCR unit from Europlast. The seat was a find at a Classic Bike show, where David also picked up the tailpipe and rear view mirror.

She’s a stunning looking machine that looks like a trophy-winner, but believe it or not this bike was a budget build and has few changes it’s mechanics or chassis parts. Most striking is the paint scheme in bright bold lines and colours. Ad Hoc’s name for the bike; “Poptah”, refers to the bright colours but also to the 1980s pop era that spawned her.

See more builds from Ad Hoc Cafe Racers HERE on the Bike Shed, and on their Facebook pages.

Moto GP ; Successful Suzuki test for Randy de Puniet at Motegi

From Twowheelsblog

Randy De Puniet spent two days (last Thursday and Friday) at the Motegi circuit testing Suzuki’s new MotoGP machine after the Le Mans round and apparently it was a successful test according German website Speedweek.de - who has a ‘naked’ photo of the GSV-R, whilemotociclismo.es and mcn.com also have photos.

The Aspar rider wasn’t alone at Motegi as he was in the company of Davide Brivio who expected be the team manager for Suzuki’s MotoGP return and Tom O’Kane as his crew chief and race engineer for the test.

Honda and Yamaha test teams -Takumi Takahashi and Kousuke Akiyoshi for Honda - and Katsuyuki Nakasuga and Wataru Yoshikawa for Yamaha were also present, and De Puniet was faster than the four Japanese riders posting an unofficial lap time of 1.47.00, which was almost two tenths of a second faster than the Frenchman’s own qualifying lap at Motegi last year with the ART.

De Puniet will be back testing the Suzuki in Barcelona for the Montmelo post race test.

The above photo is De Puniet testing Suzuki’s 800cc bike at Valencia in 2011.