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) |
|
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
|
|
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
|
207
|
207
|
|
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
Photo: Harold Bridge
(From the 1998 Flèche Pacifique) |