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Once upon a time in autumn of the year 1999,
to specify more precise 49 days prior to the magic date,
in a time, when the millenium clock works properly at the Paris landmark.
I flew over the weekend towards the France capital city,
to be a witness of a exceptional but typical french competiion.
The evening before, I had some difficulties to find the right scene, where the competion should take place.
I wanterd to attend the training, but my first attemps to find the place were not very effective.
Paris at its best, no information signs, no billboards.
Not here, because of the short waiting time.
The upstair race for Eiffel Tower took already place in the summertime
and was won by the Kenyan upstairs race specialist "irunupon".
Freeclimbing on Notre Dame?
No, only an entry to the Guiness Book of Records for the theme killing storefront.
This could be also issued to Centre Pompidou.
Ooh, excuse me, this is no storefront, this is art.
Or really?
Anyway, it´s closed and will be reopened on new years eve.
After all, I tried to find the place at Louvre, this was promising.
But the competition for the longest queue in Paris will be decided here mostly in summertime.
This is at no case suspicious to be a all-time record.
More demands failured and therefore I finished the day with typical places of interest
and must attend the french first round for the loudest horn in Paris.
New day, new weather, new ideas.
Naturally. it could be only here in Paris La Defense,
the Manhattan of Paris, the lifework of some postmodern architects.
and the most controversial district of the on the other hand patriarchal Paris.
I was searching ***, not only because of the event, but also because of some degrees celcius below zero.
Some spectators were already attending like paralyzed, but at the scene it was still calm.
La grande Arche, the first monument of the new millenium, I should have known it already yesterday.
Flying the flag appropriate regarding the big event and the first round was already ongoing.
Therefore I queued patient to get the hot tickets for a front-row seat.
You still don´t know what rare and worldshaking event happens here?
Ascenseur Rapide, die world championship of the elevator drivers.
The track layout took six years to be build up.
In memory of Charles de Gaulle millions of francs were invested to build up the front seats.
And even the standing terraces are wind-protected.
No kidding from now on!
The course record, which should be paralyzed today, is at the magical limit of 30 seconds.
Nobody ever has gone upwards faster, downwards it can be achieved only by suiciders.
While I´m still searching my not available seat in the front-row,
the stars are preparing for todays race.
This is unmistakably the French team.
Not undervalued should be Hillie, Africas fastest nanny.
and naturally Bob, the acting worldchampion over the vertical mile.
But he was caught red-handed by taking some not-allowed drugs.
That´s bad luck, he was disqualified after the positive B-Probe.
The main prize is adjusted to the size of the event
Now, let´s go.
The local heros are waiting very cool for the first starter´s gun.
Jump the gun?
No, the race management said, that the inhuman reaction time of 12 hundreds of a seconds was ok.
Let´s see this once more in slow motion.
The whole race is one on one, the looser of a race is eliminated.
The first quarter final is clearly won by the french team.
After long consultings with the german captain - overweight was the reason -
I could participate in the last quarter final Germany vs. Switzerland
onboard the german elevator to have really a front-row seat.
So I could really proove the driving skills of our pilots.
But unfortunatelly the swiss team has finished the new Schindler engine
and so there was no chance for the german team to win.
Nevertheless it was nearly a photo finish.
In the first semi final, the race was not far away from a scandal.
The Italian team protested against the one centimeter too long distance between the angle section.
But the french centimeter has sufficient overhead and therefore
the french team lead by her star Fabienne Bertrand were the first team to advance for the final.
Unexpected in the second semi final were the US-Boys, even by being decimated by the doping case of their superstar.
Their rival, the swiss team got a motor crash, so they had no chance a had to go very slowly towards the goal.
Now the finalists are: France vs. USA - the duel of the giants.
France, three time champion over the short distance, challenged to a duel by US, the underdogs,
who´s vehicle is right now places at the starting row.
The US were last year the overall winners in the 24 hour race at the Stratosphere Tower,
the longest elevator race of the world in Las Vegas.
A superior start of the French team, but the US switches the turbo on, so they are turning as number one.
The race is so fast, even the onboard camera has some difficulties.
At the end, the race is decided during the last 10 meters.
A superb finish from the French guys and a worthy winner,
but also an equal and satisfied second place winner.
The winning ceremony took place back again on the roof of the Grand Arche.
Next year, the Germans will be a notifyiable rival for the gold medal.
A new engine producer from the south had agreed to be part of the spectacle in Hannover.
The town has spared no efforts and no expenses to arrange the race.