Flèche Pacifique
A Brief History
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The Flèche Vélocio in France (or an equivalent elsewhere in the world) is a mandatory component of Audax Club Parisien most prestigious participation award the Brevet Randonneur 5000 pin. (Starting in 2007 it becomes the Randonneur 5000 medal.) Before 1989 it was difficult for BC riders to earn 5000 pins because there was no local version of this event. This was very much apart of Dan McGuire's thinking when he (with the help of Gerry Pareja and Dave Johnstone) initiated a BC version of the Flèche Velo in 1989 called the Flèche Pacifique. The first two events allowed seven BC Randonneurs to earn their 5000 pins when coupled with their 1987 Paris Brest Paris finishes. In addition to the first Flèche Pacifique in 1989, Dan McGuire also organized the event 1990 and 1991. This was the first Flèche organized outside France.
Unlike other randonneur events, the Flèche is a competition - a team is rewarded for covering more distance than the other teams over 24 hours. The original trophy recognizing this was renamed the Gordon Bisarro Memorial Trophy in 1997 after the premature death from cancer of this long time and well loved randonneur - the Flèche was a great favorite of Gord's.
The distance record is currently held by the 1998 winning team, Team Time Trial (Ken Bonner, Keith Fraser, and Ted Milner), with 654 km.
There are two other more specialize awards now apart of the Flèche Pacifique. The M & M trophy ("most kilometers by the most mature") was introduced in 1992 by Manfred Kuchenmuller to recognize big distance Flèches by riders over 40. In 1997 Tim Pollock introduced the Lungs Are For Life Trophy, which is a similar but recognizes teams which have a wide range of ages. In 2009 the Trophy was renamed the Tim Pollock Lungs Are For Life Trophy.
Although in France the gathering place changes each year, nowhere in BC has been found to be as suitable as Harrison Hot Springs, so Harrison has remained the Flèche Pacifique's hub since the first event in 1989.
The Flèche pin was introduced and designed by three-time Flèche Pacifique organizer Harold Bridge in 1997. A new pin was introduced in 2005 - design by Michel Richard, and another new pin in 2009 - design by Ali Holt.
Harold Bridge has offered a few words regarding the origianl event, the Flèche Vélocio: "The original fléche title is from the non-de-plume of some French cyclist/writer journalist type known as "Velocio" who I believe originated the event in the twenties."
In 2010 co-organizer Patrick Wright introduced the "Trace". It is a similar ACP ride but includes only day light riding, and the minimum distance is 201 km.
Eric Fergusson
(with help from Dan McGuire and Harold Bridge)
December, 2001 (updated as needed) |
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Flèche Pacifique - Statistical Summary |
|
Year |
Number
of Teams |
Finishers
+ DNFs = |
Total
Participants |
Greatest
Distance
(km) |
Total
Event
Distance |
Average
Distance
per Team** |
|
1989 |
4 |
15 + 1 |
= 16 |
411 |
5,668 |
377 |
|
1990 |
4? |
15 + 3 |
= 18 |
403 |
5,700 |
380 |
|
1991 |
8? |
32 + 3 |
= 35 |
506 |
12,476 |
403 |
|
1992 |
10 |
37 + 0 |
= 37 |
557 |
15,165 |
406 |
|
1993 |
9 |
22 + 10 |
= 32 |
403 |
8,142 |
371 |
|
1994 |
6? |
19 + 5 |
= 24 |
602 |
8,299 |
433 |
|
1995 |
7 |
30 + 0?* |
= 30 |
418 |
11,596 |
390 |
|
1996 |
8 |
31 + 0?* |
= 31 |
635 |
12,499 |
411 |
|
1997 |
10 |
38 + 6 |
= 44 |
630 |
16,080 |
430 |
|
1998 |
8 |
38 + 0?* |
= 38 |
654 |
15,587 |
425 |
|
1999 |
8 |
33 + 0?* |
= 33 |
461 |
13,177 |
402 |
|
2000 |
11 |
48 + 4 |
= 52 |
539 |
19,084 |
401 |
|
2001 |
9 |
40 + 0?* |
= 40 |
482 |
15,633 |
399 |
|
2002 |
10 |
43 + 5 |
= 48 |
594 |
17,424 |
415 |
|
2003 |
11 |
43 + 5 |
= 48 |
529 |
17,038 |
399 |
|
2004 |
13 |
53 + 8 |
= 61 |
*431* |
20,552 |
397 |
|
2005 |
11 |
47 + 0 |
= 47 |
510 |
18,755 |
399 |
|
2006 |
13 |
57 + 2 |
= 59 |
449 |
22,276 |
389 |
|
2007 |
10 |
41 + 6 |
= 47 |
418 |
15,978 |
386 |
|
2008 |
9 |
35 + 1 |
= 36 |
510 |
14,246 |
412 |
|
2009 |
11 |
54 + 0 |
= 54 |
449 |
21,183 |
392 |
|
2010 |
10 |
45 + 0 |
= 45 |
449 |
17,814 |
395 |
2011
|
9
|
34 + 5
|
= 39
|
460
|
13,618
|
389
|
2012
|
12
|
49 + 3
|
= 52
|
630
|
20,010
|
417
|
2013
|
6
|
27 + 2
|
= 29
|
434
|
10,482
|
391
|
2014
|
7
|
31 + 0
|
= 31
|
600
|
12,774
|
412
|
2015
|
5
|
23 + 1
|
= 24
|
421
|
9,739
|
402
|
2016
|
7
|
31 + 0
|
= 31
|
450
|
12,239
|
397
|
2017
|
6
|
25 + 1
|
= 26
|
514
|
10,219
|
409
|
2018
|
3
|
12 + 0
|
= 12
|
428
|
4,891
|
405
|
|
2019
|
5
|
22 + 0
|
= 22
|
481
|
8,862
|
403
|
|
2023
|
5
|
15 + 5
|
= 20
|
479
|
5,580
|
394
|
|
2024
|
4
|
12 + 4
|
= 16
|
428
|
4,631
|
386
|
|
Year
|
Number
of Teams
|
Finishers
+ DNFs =
|
Total
Participants
|
Greatest
Distance
(km)
|
Total
Event
Distance
|
Average
Distance
per Team**
|
|
*
The "0?" DNF years may mean that there were no DNFs, but that this information is not available.
The total participants figures are similarly uncertain.
**
i.e. average distance (in km) of the finishing teams.
*431*
An incomplete team rode 537 km in 2004.
Trace Pacifique - Statistical Summary
|
|
Year
|
Number
of Teams
|
Finishers
+ DNFs =
|
Total
Participants
|
Greatest
Distance
(km)
|
Total
Event
Distance
|
Average
Distance
per Team**
|
2010
|
2
|
5 + 2
|
= 7
|
207
|
1,027
|
205
|
2011
|
4
|
12 + 5
|
= 17
|
208
|
2,469
|
205
|
2012
|
1
|
5 + 0
|
= 5
|
211
|
1,055
|
211
|
2013
|
2
|
11 + 0
|
= 11
|
203
|
2,228
|
203
|
2014
|
6
|
23 + 0
|
= 23
|
207
|
4,678
|
203
|
2015
|
5
|
28 + 0
|
= 28
|
204
|
5,885
|
203
|
2016
|
8
|
34 + 2
|
= 36
|
214
|
6,909
|
203
|
2017
|
4
|
13 + 2
|
= 15
|
203
|
2,631
|
202
|
2018
|
5
|
20 + 0
|
= 20
|
208
|
4,512
|
205
|
2019
|
5
|
19 + 0
|
= 19
|
233
|
3,927
|
207
|
2023
|
1
|
4 + 1
|
= 5
|
207
|
828
|
207
|
2024
|
2
|
7 + 0
|
= 7
|
205
|
1628
|
203
|
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Flèche
Pacifique ride organizers
1990: Dan McGuire
1991: Dan McGuire
1992: Dan McGuire
1993: Harold Bridge
1994: Barb Lepsoe
1995: Manfred Kuchenmuller
1996: Manfred Kuchenmuller
1997: Harold Bridge
1998: Harold Bridge
1999: Deirdre Arscott (w. Roger Street & Bob LePage assisting)
2000: John Bates (w. Roger Street assisting)
2001: Cheryl Lynch & Keith Nichol
2002: Peter Lysne (w. Barry Bogart & Harold Bridge assisting)
2003: Harold Bridge (w. Barry Bogart assisting)
2004: John Bates & Danelle Laidlaw
2005: Michel Richard (w. Barry Bogart assisting)
2006: Michel Richard (w. Barry Bogart assisting)
2007: Roger Holt, Danelle Laidlaw
2008: Roger Holt, Danelle Laidlaw & Barb Pope
2009: Gary Baker & Barb Pope
2010: Patrick Wright & Barb Pope
2011: Patrick Wright, Bob & Patty Marsh
2012: Patrick Wright
2013: Colin Fingler
2014: Colin Fingler
2015: Colin Fingler
2016: Colin Fingler
2017: Cheryl Lynch
2018: Cheryl Lynch
2019: Cheryl Lynch
2023: Rick Den Braber
2024: Gary Baker & Colin Fingler
Photo: Harold Bridge
(From the 1998 Flèche Pacifique) |