24h Le Mans
In celebration of Jacky Ickx's 70th birthday which was January 1st, the Belgian daily paper "Le Soir" released a special series of six double albums compiling Michel Vaillant's publications in which appeared the Belgian champion and six-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Among the 12 stories represented in these albums, three took place in La Sarthe: "Le fantôme des 24 Heures" (first Jacky Ickx appearance in a Michel Vaillant album), "Un pilote a disparu" and "Une histoire de fous." The others are entitled: "De l’huile sur la piste," "5 filles dans la course," "Massacre pour un moteur," "Série noire," "Champion du Monde," "La silhouette en colère," "Paris Dakar," "Le défi des remparts" et "L’affaire Bugatti."
Throughout their fictional clashes in La Sarthe, Vaillant and Ickx were always perfect gentlemen on the track. Vaillant's tally came to five wins in Le Mans, leaving Ickx with his six victories to forever remain "Mr. Le Mans"…an honourary title that Tom Kristensen, with his nine wins, had the class not to strip from Ickx. In the first double album, which combines "Le fantôme des 24 Heures" and "De l’huile sur la piste," Ickx shaped in an exclusive interview this portrait of Vaillant: "I like him but I don't love him because he never let me win: a real hard case like Eddy Merckx!" A portrait that quite resembles Ickx himself!
Remember that Ickx and the cyclist Eddy Merckx, five-time winner of the Tour de France, are the subject of an exhibition until June 21, 2015 at the Brussels Trade Mart.
The 83rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place Saturday and Sunday, June 13th and 14th.
Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO
Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SUNDAY JUNE 15 1969. Jacky Ickx (right) and his team mate Jackie Oliver celebrate their first Le Mans victory.
