Team Deer With Headlights Taste the Flèche!

"Flèche" means "arrow" in French. Teams of 3-5 bikes converge like arrows on a common destination. They must cover at least 360km (224 miles) and finish 24 hours after they start. Here is Team Deer with Headlights at their sunny start - JLE, Greg Courtney, Catherine Shenk (team captain), Michelle Grainger, and Steve Le Goff:

It's off to a sunny morning of cycling as the Deer head north:

Greg Courtney was our guest from Iowa. Greg had ridden our 400k and the Last Chance 1200k last year, and was coming back for more:

Michelle and Steve celebrate summiting Stove Prairie with a snowball:
Greg climbs Stove Prairie strongly, though he begins to feel the 7,500 ft. elevation towards the top.

After descending Stove Prairie, the Deer sail down scenic Poudre Canyon:

Greg and Steve enjoy a shady break at Vern's in LaPorte.

At the Kersey checkpoint, it was time to don the reflective gear:

And off they go past Platteville, the randonneur vortex:

Sunday morning bode a thoroughly wet and chilly time:

Michelle and Steve head into the blustery rain:

And Catherine bundles up appropriately:

The nautical decor at this Boulder convenience store seemed especially fitting:Despite the weather, the rainjacketed Deer seem happy as clams at the finish:
Traditionally, teams gather for breakfast near their destination. Here Greg and Catherine dig into the après flèche reward of a hearty Italian breakfast at the Blue Parrot in old town Louisville:

Thanks to all the Deer for making this flèche a memorable, smooth, and fun ride! Bon appetit!

You can see more at Greg Courtney's slide show. Sound like fun? Maybe you'd like to form or join a team next year!

-jle