France

There's no doubt that France still sits right at the top of the European heap.

It's the country for which the word chic was invented - seductive and aloof, old-fashioned and forward-looking, but always characterised by a certain je ne sais quoi.

- Read more destination guides with Lonely Planet

Date: 18 May 2008
Venue: Le Mans
Track length: 4180m
Laps: 28
Race length: 117.040km
2007 winner: Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki)

A number of venues have hosted the French GP since its inaugural run in 1951 but Le Mans has had exclusive rights over the event since 2000 and now boasts the greatest number of French GPs - 19. The race is run on the Bugatti circuit that was built in 1965 and which incorporates some of the famous 24 Hour road circuit. Essentially Le Mans consists of a number of low gear hairpins between long straights and poses few problems in terms of bike set-up.

MotoGP 2008 racing calendar