Yes, it turns out that it has to do with the Veloce crank, a critter I know nothing about.

I had to go to the GitaneUSA site to have Chas (once again) give me the basics. I'm used to "true C&V", meaning if you're dealing with an early '70s Gitane, you're also using a crankset from that period. Thus, the wider spindles.

Anything newer than, say, 1985, and I'm on thin ice!

Yet another reason to be grateful to Velo Orange (thus bringing us back to topic) for having these otherwise-impossible-to-find bits & pieces for us.

I remain a fan.

And thanks for the learning lesson this little digression has offered!