There have been a few questions about Fleche routes. All Fleche riders,
please take time to read & use the Fleche rules to plan your routes,
etc. so that you will have a successful Fleche

From the rules especially in
Article 8 "Out-and-back route segments are permitted, such as to
obtain food and supplies in remote regions, but no control may be used
more than once and no road segment may be used more than once in the
same direction. If an out-and-back route segment is utilized in the
overall route design, a control point must be located at its
turnaround."

Your routes can be any reasonable shape, as long as you follow the
rules, you have a sufficient number and different controls and you use
no section of road traveling in the same direction more than once (not
even a short distance). When it comes to defining different controls,
it would be good to have them in different towns and not just have
multiple controls at different addresses in the same town unless it was
a very large city except if the controls were on opposite sides of the
large city.

If you have any questions, please let me know!
Please first submit a basic route design (you may use straight lines
and general town locations for the basic plan). After I look at the
basic plan then I'll let you know if that seems reasonable for a route
and then you can submit the detailed route.

For route submittals, please use one of the online mapping applications
such as
http://maps.google.com/
http://www.mapmyride.com/
If you use MapMyRide and would like to list your route in a MapMyRide
group you can list it in
http://www.mapmyride.com/community/groups/472530158046 aka: RUSA-routes
which is one that was started recently just for RUSA routes.

Please also remember that in general route starting towns are a first
submitted, first choice of start time & route for that address. As was
allowed for teams before: same town & same start time but with
different start addresses and different routes will work for teams.

Have a good day!
Tony Goodnight
www.bicycleforlife.org
704.637.6289 office

The following sections of Article 3 & 8 have been quoted from the
current Fleche Rules on RUSA.org site
===============
http://www.rusa.org/flecherules.html

Article 3
"The Flèches-USA are team events..."
"If several teams use the same starting point, then starting times for
individual teams shall be spaced at least one hour apart. Choice of
routes and starting times is customarily assigned according to the
order of receipt of registrations, but the RBA has discretion to do
otherwise if need be."

"Article 8
"Each team is to design its own route that is at least 360 KM in
length. The traditional format for a flèche is point-to-point, like an
archer's arrow (flèche in French) flying toward its target. Though not
a classic flèche route, a large circuit or loop may also be used, such
as to make a scenic tour of a region. However, an out-and-back route is
not consistent with the traditions of the flèche. Out-and-back route
segments are permitted, such as to obtain food and supplies in remote
regions, but no control may be used more than once and no road segment
may be used more than once in the same direction. If an out-and-back
route segment is utilized in the overall route design, a control point
must be located at its turnaround."
"Distance traveled is calculated on the basis of the shortest route
between checkpoints that can be legally traveled by bicycle. Maps or
mapping software with accurate mileages will be used to determine
distances. In the case of forced detours due to road construction,
accidents, etc., only the additional mileage verified by a postcard
checkpoint or verification by a stamp from a merchant, post office, or
police station at the far point of the detour will be counted. A
business receipt that is imprinted with date, time and location would
also be accepted. Further, such mileage will be counted only if shown
on maps or mapping software. No matter the circumstances of any
particular detour, a minimum of 360 KM must be ridden in the 24-hour
period."
"A successful Flèches-USA team ride counts as 360 KM in ACP and RUSA
Distance Awards, even if a longer distance was covered in the 24 hours.
"
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