By Mark Cramer
One of the main reasons I moved from the east of Paris to the northwest was to be within easy cycling distance of my favorite race track. Longchamp became my home track, within 10 smooth kilometers from our front door. I considered Longchamp the balcony we did not have in our apartment, with a view to the east of the Boulogne forest and to the west of Mont Valerien, a hill fortress where the American Cemetery on its skirt houses the remains of 1,541 Americans who died in World War I and 24 unknown dead from World War II.
From “my balcony” I could also look down on the walking ring to the west and the railbirds on the apron to the east, and of course, the finish line, where I watched my favorite all-time horse, Youmzain, take the runner-up spot in three consecutive Arcs, a record he gets little credit for.
To my great dismay, they closed the track following the 2015 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
I've now lost track of how many times I've biked to Longchamp, first watching the destruction and then the reconstruction. The workmen see me roll up to the front gate and I know they are thinking, “There he is again, going to tell us to work faster, going to ruin our coffee breaks.”
The new main grandstand does not alter the overall order of things, but it's smaller, lighter and more transparent than the previous version, whose massive heaviness was a blight on the territory.
Some folks look at so much gold color in the new grandstand and surroundings and say it's pretentious. Not being sophisticated, I thought the color was burnt yellow. It's the same color I used to paint our apartment walls. It looks great to me. Besides, blue, red, orange or purple would not fit in the woodsy setting, and a green grandstand would be an insult to the surrounding forest.
The beloved windmill is still there, as are the racing cyclists who do laps around the track seemingly impervious to its magic. They don't even stop to watch a race.
My favorite place at Longchamp is the rarely used old grandstand, the one they are not allowed to tear down because it is protected by heritage laws. It had been used only during the Arc weekend, and otherwise overshadowed by the dinosaur at its side. But now, in the context of the new structure, the old grandstand seems to regain its splendor.
To all those involved in the renewal of my race course, let it be known that I postponed a trip to the U.S. by three weeks in order to be there on opening day in April. Please have it ready. I hereby apologize for protesting when you closed down my favorite race course and I promise I will no longer hassle the construction crew.
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