 Flèche Pacifique This popular randonneur team event is patterned after the Flèche Velocio in France (Flèche is the French word for arrow), which takes place each year on Easter weekend. Teams cycle a minimum of 360 km to a common meeting place in southern France. A new town is chosen as the gathering point each year. In Canada, we are permitted to hold this event up to 50 days after Easter. The Flèche Pacifique is typically held in mid May, between the Lower Mainland Spring 300 and 400 kms brevets, and historically the gathering point has been Harrison Hot Springs. Since 2024, it has been the Chilliwack Coast Hotel in downtown Chilliwack. There are four trophies which honour achievement in the Flèche Pacifique. The Gordon Bisaro Memorial Trophy is awarded to the team that covers the most distance in 24 hours. The Randy Benz Memorial Trophy rewards the greatest elevation gain. There are also two other trophies that are awarded on the basis of point systems that take into consideration combinations of distance and age. Randonneurs should bear in mind that a successfully completed Flèche ride is a necessary component in a rider's quest for a Randonneur 5000 medal. (Flèche distances cannot be used towards a rider's Super Randonneur award tally.) In 2010 and "Trace Pacifique" was added as an option in BC. It is similarly based on a French ACP event: "Trace Pascales". The minimum distance is 201 km over 16 hours on Saturday plus (allowed since 2024) 5 hours on Friday evening. |