History

Randonneurs 歷史

1897 年 6 月 12 日，一群意大利自行車手以一天的時間，由羅馬到騎到距離 230 公里以外的那不勒斯。以當時的路況支援及自行車的裝備等等來說，他們的壯舉可以說是史無前例。

十九世紀未，一些法國的自行車旅遊人仕及行山人仕開始建立組織，Touring Club de France 因而在 1890 年 3 月 31 日建立。

於 1904 年，環法單車賽創辦人 Henri Desgrange 以 Audax Italiano 的形式建立了 Audax France。 他賦予創建於 1904 年 11 月 30 日的 Audax Club Parisien (ACP) 在 BRM 規則下認證在法國舉行的 BRM 認證活動。

ACP 從一開始便取得成功，因為協會會員全都是經驗豐富的騎長途單車旅客。協會會員理所當然成為團隊的隊長並指導團隊以大約每小時 18 公里的速度行進。 直到 1945 年，每小時 18 公里的速度被公認為 Audax Pace。

當時只有 200 公里的 BRM 認證活動，完成者稱為 Audax （拉丁語形容詞，意思是無畏的、膽大的及勇於冒險的）。 除此之外，協會亦相繼舉辦 300、400 及 600 公里的騎乘活動。

到了 1921 年，已有大慨 4500 名法國單車手得到 Audax 認証。

亦 是於 1921 年， L'Echo des Sports 報紙編輯 Victor Breyer（前 Paris-Velo 記者及曾與 Henri Degrange 為同事，Henri Degrange 為巴黎至魯貝路線的探索者）組織的 Polymultipliee 遠足活動被暫時擱置。 ACP 曾協助 Victor Breyer 於 1913 年和 1914 年舉辦類似活動。

因為 ACP 提供協助於 L'Echo des Sports 而 L'Echo des Sports 和 L'Auto 當時為競爭對手， 促使 Henri Degrange 寫了一篇關於撤銷 ACP 認證 BRM 的評論文章。

這 導致 ACP 的分化，數名隊長及遠足者離開了 ACP，並於 L'Auto 的領導下繼續舉辦活動。他們創建了 L'Union des Audax Cyclistes Parisiens（UACP），亦即後來的 L'Union des Audax Francaises（UAF）。

現在的 UAF 仍舉行 Brevets Audax 認証活動，參與活動者要以 22.5 公里的均速在團隊的隊長領導（不能超越隊長）下完成。

ACP 繼續舉辦沒有限速的 200 至 600 公里的 Brevets des Randonneurs Francaises 認証活動。 1922 年 6 月 11 日 舉辦了第一場 300 公里活動，1923 年 7 月 22 日 舉辦了第一場 400 公里活動及 1928 年 6 月 30 日 至 7 月 1 日 舉辦了第一場 600 公里活動。

第一場 1000 公里的活動是在 1934 年 8 月 15 日舉辦，是在的第一次 Paris-Breast-Paris (PBP) 1200 公里非職業車手活動之後 3 年才出現。

在 1991 年，ACP 慶祝 Le Petit Journal 創辦 的 PBP 一百週年紀念。

另外，Federation Francaise des Societes de Cyclotourisme (FFSC) 於 1923 建立並組織法國所有提倡自行車旅遊的俱樂部。 ACP 創辦人之一 Gaston Clement 為 FFSC 首屆會長。

在 1942，FFSC 改名為 Federation Francais de Cyclotourisme (FFCT)。FFCT 仍舊是法國主要的自行車旅遊協會。

直至今天， ACP 仍為法國及巴黎其中一個最大的自行車協會。 自 1976 年起， BRM 認証開始於法國境外舉行。

Randonneurs History

On the 12th of June, 1897, a group of Italian cyclists travelled the route between Rome and Naples, a distance of 230 kilometers, in a single day. Given the difficult cycling conditions of that time, this effort was considered to be "audacious".

In France, at the end of the nineteenth century, the first cycle tourists had begun to organise, together with hikers. The creation of the Touring Club de France, on March 31, 1890, was the result of this coming together.

In 1904, Henri Desgrange, founder of the Tour de France in the previous year, founded Audax France on the model of Audax Italiano. He conferred on the Audax Club Parisien, newly created on November 30, 1904, the authority to certify brevets ridden under Audax rules in France.

From the outset, the club was a success. The A.C.P. members were all experienced cycle tourists hardened by long distance cycling. They became adept at the task of "ride captain", and at guiding group rides at an 18 kilometer per hour pace, which, until 1945, was considered to be the correct Audax pace.

At that time, only the 200 kilometer distance was considered to be a brevet, the completion of which entitled a cyclist to be designated "Audax". Beyond this, rides of 300 and 400 kilometers, were organised by the A.C.P.. 600 kilometer rides would appear a little later.

By 1921, the designation of "Audax" had been conferred on about 4,500 French cyclists.

Le Vélo

In that year, Victor Breyer (Translator's note: formerly a journalist with Paris-Velo and a sometime colleague of Henri Degrange: he was the journalist who researched and scouted the original route for Paris - Roubaix), who at that time was editor of the newspaper L'Echo des Sports, undertook to organise a hiking event that had been in abeyance, the Polymultipliee. He asked for the assistance of the A.C.P. which had helped to stage the two previous editions of this event in 1913 and 1914.

The assistance given by the club to L'Echo des Sports, a competitor of L'Auto, prompted Henri Desgrange to write an editorial in that paper rescinding the right of the A.C.P. to certify Audax brevets.

This led to a break up of the organisation. Several ride captains and hikers left the A.C.P. and continued to organise their events under the direction of L'Auto. They created L'Union des Audax Cyclistes Parisiens (U.A.C.P.) which was later to become L'Union des Audax Francaises (U.A.F.).

The U.A.F. today certifies brevets ridden at a constant speed of 22.5 kilometers per hour ridden under the direction of ride captains, whom riders may not overtake. These rides are known as Brevets Audax.

Those members that remained loyal to the A. C. P. immediately organised the Brevets des Randonneurs Francaises over distances between 200 and 600 kilometers, to be ridden at a pace chosen by each ride participant. The first 300 kilometer event was held on the 11th of June, 1922; the first 400 kilometer ride on the 22nd of July 1923; and the first 600 kilometer ride on the 30th of June and the 1st of July, 1928.

Abernat 1920

The first 1,000 kilometer event was organised somewhat later, on the 15th of August, 1934, three years after the first Paris - Brest - Paris in which non-professional cyclists were permitted.

In 1991, the club celebrated the centenary of Paris - Brest - Paris, an event first organised by Le Petit Journal in 1891.

Another noteworthy event was the creation, in 1923, of the Federation Francaise des Societes de Cyclotourisme (FFSC) which grouped together French clubs devoted to bicycle tourism. Gaston Clement, a founding member of the A.C.P. was the first president of this organisation. This Federation became, in 1942, the Federation Francais de Cyclotourisme (F.F.C.T.) that remains the principal association of French cycle tourism to this day.

Today, the Audax Club Parisien is one of the largest cycling clubs in Paris and in France. Since 1976, brevets certified by the A.C.P. have been ridden in countries outside of France. These are known as the Brevets des Randonneurs Mondiaux.

Original Article: http://www.audax-club-parisien.com/EN/index.php?showpage=21