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Fleche Opperman All Day Trial
The Fleche Opperman All Day Trial (or "The Oppy") is an annual event held by Audax Australia. The Oppy is an event for
teams of three to five bicycles and is held over 24 hours.
The course and distance are chosen by each team and must be at least 360km long and finish at a designated
location in each state.
View the Oppy Shield winners
How does it work?
You get together with some friends and/or family and tell them what a great challenge
you've found.
Sit down and work out a route which does not cover the same road twice in the same direction,
and allows you to finish in one of the nominated finish locations. The route,
going by the map, must be at least 360km
- there is no upper limit. Calculate where you will want some rest stops -
these will be your controls where your support team
(if you have one) can meet you and provide you with food/water/support.
You are permitted to sleep, if you have spare time,
but you must ride a minimum distance of 25km in the last 2 hours of the event -
i.e. you can't ride your total distance straight to the finish and be early.
All teams finish roughly between 8am and 9am on the Sunday morning,
and then partake in a communal breakfast and exchange stories of hardship.
Standard Audax lighting rules apply. You can also ride the event unsupported,
in which case you will probably want to stop at towns that have 24 hour services.
It's your choice - book your team a motel room for a few hours or ride for 24 hours straight.
The challenge lies in having all members of your team complete
the chosen distance and finish within the time limit. Set your distance and route realistically,
based on the fitness and experience of the riders in your team.
The organiser will check the route and give you some brevet cards which you will need to have stamped at controls
along the way (approx every 50-80km).
This is a team event and participants should ride together.
Background
The Fleche Opperman All Day Trial event is modelled on the Fleche Velocio event, held every year in France
and begun by the Patron Saint of Cyclists , Velocio.
The event is named in honour of one of the greatest Australian sportsmen, Sir Hubert Opperman, OBE (1904 - 1996),
whose endurance cycling feats in the 1920s and 1930s earned him international acclaim.
Petit Oppy
The Oppy's "little brother', the Petit Oppy is available in most regions and runs on the same date as the Oppy.
The Petit Oppy requires participants to cover a minimum of 180km in 14 hours of riding. See the Fleche Opperman Ride Rules.
Support Crew Tips
A good support crew can make all the difference to your team
Remember that supporting a team for 24 hours is as tiring as riding the event.
- Have good lines of communication with your support crew. Some small towns have more than one park, oval, toilet block etc.
for Victorian participants,Vic Roads has an excellent country directory that lists all amenities in each Victorian town
- It is not necessary to drive the route prior to the ride. We take the distance from the highlighted map that you supply
- Try to keep at least one support crew member rested for the journey home
- Give clear directions to your support crew with regard to food and your expectations.
- If your crew is new it may be necessary to explain just how fast a team of bicycles can travel between controls
- During daylight hours when your team is strong, try to use a town as a "do it yourself" control,
thus giving your support crew a rest
- After the event profusely thank your team, buy them breakfast & a support crew souvenir and
ask them would they like to support you next year
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