We the undersigned support the UltraMarathon Cycling Association as one of the primary international organizations for ultracycling. The UMCA has proven its effectiveness at working with racers and race directors for three reasons:

1) Unlike other cycling organizations the UMCA imposes very few rules on event organizers. Each organizer knows his/her riders and the rules of his/her country and national federation. The race director organizes the race and runs it with his/her own rules. The UMCA then take the results to determine how many points a rider earned in the points competition, if a rider qualified for RAAM, etc.

2) The UMCA includes a wide variety of events as ultracycling. The UMCA's goal is to challenge endurance riders to excel in various types of events. In randonneuring riders start with 200 km brevets and then move on to longer distances. In ultracycling riders start with rides of 100 miles or 200 km and then progress. Further riders participate in drafting and non-drafting events, timed and untimed events, etc. Narrowly defining ultracycling limits the sport.

3) The UMCA is a flexible, responsive organization. Each rider and each event director works directly with the appropriate UMCA official rather than having to go through a national organization.

The UMCA is already working internationally with cyclists and event organizers and the UMCA is committed to finding better ways to help ultracycling grow around the world.

To that end the UMCA is convening a meeting in Paris after Paris-Brest-Paris 2007. The meeting is to discuss how to the UMCA can be a more effective international organization.