Flèche Ouragan

Ride: Flèche Ouragan
Organizers: Susan France - Routes, Info and Questions
Michael Rasmussen, Master of Ceremonies
Dates: May 1-3, 2008
Start Time Team choice. Between Thur noon and Sat 10AM.
Finish Time Before 10:00AM May 4, 2008 Sunday
Destination: McMenamins Grand Lodge(Sunday Morning Brunch, 9AM Grand Lodge Hotel)
Entry Fee: $10 per rider, Oregon Randonneurs membership required.
Entry Deadline: April 20 , 2008
View Registered Teams: Team Entries
Forms&Info:

Flèche Application (PDF)
Team Release Form (PDF)
Oregon Randonneurs Membership Form (PDF)
22 Hr Control Suggestions..(PDF)
Special Note Route Approval: Send the electronic form of your route to the Fleche Coordinator for approval. Excel, Word, Streets & Trips. Send the paper items: team application, release forms, membership forms and fees to the address on the application form.

The RUSA website has detailed information regarding Fleche events. Please read this information before submitting your questions to the organizer. If you plan to spend the night at the Grand Lodge, make reservations soon as May is a popular "Wedding Time" at the lodge. Why do we always pick the Grand Lodge??? Check it out! We have a breakfast reservation at the Ironwood Grill, Grand Lodge for Sunday at 9AM. This is no-host. Plan to share your tales with other teams and see what surprises our Master of Ceremonies has up his sleeves for our second Flèche.

Need more info about Forest Grove services? Check the Forest Grove Chamber of Commerce website.

Notes for Team Captains:

Once you receive your control cards, check them for accuracy.
Contact the organizer immediately of any changes in team members, etc.
Go over the rules of team events with your team. In particular, team members should note the location and distance of their 22 Hr Control.
Team members must complete a minimum of 25km in the last 2 hrs of their event.
And most importantly, team members must finish together in the 24th hour. Do not leave your teammates in those final 2 hours.

2007 Flèche Follow Up

We have an Overachiver's Award for the Flèche team that rode the furthest distance. Bidding will start at 360 kilometers. Do I hear 360 kilometers? Yes? Good! Do I hear 370? Yes! Do I hear 375 kilometers? … 400? 402 Kilometers? Do I hear 405? 403? We have 402 kilometers. Can anyone go higher? Going once for 402 kilometers, going twice … Awarded! The Overachiever's award goes to team The Spirit is Willing for including an extra 42 kilometers in their fleche route.

Team Pretty Far Fleched garnered the first Anne McSweeny Memorial award for the team with the largest number of women riders with five of their six members being women. The one guy was the captain on a mixed tandem.

The master of ceremonies, despite having a reasonable night's sleep, is unable to recall which team won the award for a route that came closest to 360 kilometers.

Green and Gold, 2007

Old Cranks, 2007

Pretty Far Fleched, 2007

The Spirit is Willing, 2007

The "auction" of an award for unrewarded, not officially recognized, kilometers was part of the fun at the Flèche Ourgan breakfast banquet. 35 riders and friends shared ride stories and food. The teams were:

Green and Gold
The Knights Who Say Ni
Old Cranks (youngest member age 50)
Pretty Far Fleched
Riders In the Storm
The Sleepers
The Spirit is Willing

Lesli Larson is the first to recover enough from the 24 hour of Flèche Fun to post a photo essay covering the event. Ed Felker came from Alington, Virginia to join The Spirit is Willing teammates. His ride report and photo set tell of how the flesh was not weak. Mark Thomas exemplfied the sucessful randonneur strategy of "worry first, ride later". His story describes the pre-ride concerns that kept him vigilant about what could go wrong until the ride itself proved it could go right.

All riders should be familiar with and abide by rider expectations.

Return to OR Randonneurs homepage