UMC'00 IN REVIEW - The UMC gained 23% more participants last year - that's good news! This year we inaugurated the immediately popular Open Century division, and added an option for Open Division riders to use receipts. We would especially like to thank David BUZZEE for running the Open Standard division and Don NORVELLE for running the Open Century division, which he championed.

CENTURY ASCENDENCY - There has been a dramatic increase in the proportion of century-ride miles, and both a percentage and absolute plunge in Standard Event and Open Standard rides (151 miles or longer). The new Open Century division has contributed to this, but organized centuries have also grown. (That is, Open century growt has not been at the expense of Organized centuries, which is more good news.)

BREVETS AND RANDONNÉES - The decrease in Standard Division mileage is more than accounted for by the decrease in Brevet mileage, accentuated by the higher participation in PBP'99 vs. year-2000 1200km RandonnČes (BMB'00 plus the Rocky Mountain 1200km). It is not that brevets have become less popular, but that many more riders do brevets in PBP years - 22 UMC riders sent in PBP'99 mileage, vs. 7 riders for 1200km's in 2000.

OPEN STANDARD - Half the decrease in Open Standard mileage from 1999 is due to the reclassification of RAAM from the Open Standard to the Standard division. Some mileage may have been lost to Open Centuries; the rest is inconclusive.

YEAR-END RIDING

Krombel Breaks 10,000 - Keith KROMBEL, with - as usual - another RAAM and another BAM under his belt, became the first rider since NPC'96 to break 10,000 UMC miles for a year!

Keith, Crista BORRAS, and Chuck WOOD did the Conococheague Creek Crawler (13 degrees at ride start) and Get Away from Gainesville. Chuck and Crista joined Richard DOLAN at Danny Chew's All-American Century and "Hunger for Unger."

Judith JOLLY and Larry SCWARTZ rode the Crazy Water Cycling Classic (Mineral Wells, Tex.); Larry also rode the Leakey Death Ride. Mike MORROSS rode the Palo Verde Nuclear Century and the Silverbell Century. Woody GRAHAM rode the Caughman Road Park Century.

Holly ELMORE and Nick DOBEY rode the "Ride to the Southern Bicycle League's North Florida Weekend" -- three stages from Georgia, and then did the 19th North Florida Tour.

Open Centuries - James HANSON rode 4 open centuries, Dan DRISCOLL rode 5, Russ LOOMIS rode 1, and John Lee ELLIS rode 2.

And finally, Jim SOLANICK rode his annual (?) birthday more-than-a-double Open double century.

Thanks to you all once again for sharing your rides with us this past year - and all the best to you for a great cycling season in 2001!