2011 Fleche

********* UPDATE #1 *************

All Fleche cards were mailed out this past weekend. Any team captain who has not yet received the cards should email me (Andrew) and I will send you an electronic template so you can print your own. I don't want to jinx you, so I'll reserve any comment on the weather forecast.

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The 2011 PA Randonneurs Fleche will be held on April 15-17, 2011. Three teams had signed up by the April 3 entry deadline. These include:

The Midnight Ride of the Sinister Nuts
Les Escargot Volants, Part Deux
Cumberland Cruisers

Sinister Nuts return with a quintet of fixed gear riders. Captain Bill Olsen will be joined by Jon Clamp, Guy Harris, Paul Searce, and Mordecai Silver. Word has it that a 70-inch gear should be fine for the mostly level route. Beginning high on a mountaintop in Asbury, NJ, the team will head southeasterly toward the shore at Bayville and continue to the southern turnaround at Tuckerton. From there the team heads northeasterly, bypassing Trenton, to its 22-hour control at Mueller's Restaurant near Reigelsville. From there it's just a short 25k to the hostel. Team captain Olsen confirms that the Nuts will NOT be using the Lehnenberg/Gallows Hill/Buckwampum finish from the recent 200k/300k ride; they are not THAT nuts!. Estimated arrival at the hostel is 0900 on Sunday.

Les Escargot Volants, Part Deux, as the name implies, is also marking a return to the PA Fleche for 2011. Captain Joe Fillip is joined by Janice Chernekoff, Nigel Greene, Christine Newman, and Katie Raschdorf. Beginning near Lyons, PA (a mere 30 miles from the finish), the team generally follows the Schuylkill River to Philadelphia, utilizing the river trail around Philadelphia as much as possible. The team crosses the Ben Franklin Bridge into Camden and continues its southeasterly trek to West Berlin and Tabernacle, NJ at which point the team heads back toward the finish. Escargot Volants also plans to visit Mueller's for its 22-hour controle before finishing at the hostel. This team plans to confirm the number of Wawa convenience stores along the route and report that information to the RBA at the finish. Estimated arrival at the finish is 1000 on Sunday.

The Cumberland Cruisers return with its "dash from the beach" route. Captain Walt Pettigrew will be accompanied by Jim Costello, Dawn Engstrom, and Rick Lentz on an arrow-like route from Cape May, NJ to the northernmost controle in Columbia, NJ. From there, the team draws the point on its arrow and returns to hostel by way of a 22-hour controle at Mueller's. The Cruisers plan to finish at 0900 on Saturday.

Best of luck to you all and have a safe ride!

Andrew