Erik Schlimmer tells the story of how he learned to fastpack the Adirondacks, a grueling 110 miles and 19,000 vertical feet of climbing, in five days with only 11 pounds on his back.
When this issue hits the gyms and stores, the story that inspired this column will be old news, but I’m writing about it anyway because I think it raises some really important issues in the active community.
The stress and controversy weigh heavily on Skilbeck, a longtime accomplished cyclist and journalist. “I love the sport of cycling to my core, and it’s not fun to have to talk or hear about all of this strife,” he says. “It’s unpleasant. But I know that a lot of UMCA members don’t understand the issues at hand, and they’re just trying to avoid these unpleasant aspects by staying as far away as they can from the issues.”
Unless a ceasefire in the war of words can be reached, it’s fairly certain that Skilbeck and his public relations and marketing firm, O2 Sports Media, won’t be handling marketing duties for RAAM anytime soon. So, what is his motivation for shining such an intense light on the UMCA?
“I’m simply shocked. It bothers me deeply that the situation with the UMCA has been allowed to come this far. Their behavior is just outrageous. If the word gets out to international cycling organizations, the UMCA would not be taken seriously on a global scale. Most individual riders don’t care that much, so someone had to make a fuss, or else nothing ever was going to change. If that’s me, so be it.”
But Skilbeck believes there’s more to Hughes than just mismanagement of a small cycling organization. “One of the defining features of John Hughes is his tendency to cut off discussion when he disagrees with you,” he notes. “I wasn’t bothered much by this until I discovered that he has treated a lot of people—veteran riders, race directors, former board members—as he has treated me.”
Skilbeck pauses briefly, almost as if to consider the weight of his words. He sighs deeply and continues. “The politics are unavoidable. You can’t have an organization without disagreement and politics. And when we’re talking about the future of the UMCA, it’s extremely important to have these discussions.”
In this subset of the cycling world, with its strong ties to tradition and a reverence for incredible endurance, the strife and controversy is bound to find a level. Just as in any handful of ultra races where the strongest athletes persevere and eventually pull ahead of the pack, the strongest leaders of the UMCA will emerge. Only time will tell if John Hughes has the staying power to lead the sport through its third decade, or whether the time has indeed come to infuse the UMCA with a fresh approach.
The Race Across America, meanwhile, hopes to continue to inspire cyclists and attract them to the event. Baby Boomers, seniors, and four and eight-person team members have all successfully completed the race, effectively shattering the myth that the event is solely the domain of the insane cycling freak with a masochistic streak. It’s an image not easily shed by the event and its new owner, the UMCA, an organization that has plenty of internal issues to solve without having to worry about putting a (slightly improved) wine in a brand new bottle.
Greg Pressler is a Portland, Oregon-based online and print editor for Gen-A Media. His first taste of ultracycling racing came as a participant in the 1999 version of the Race Across Oregon. Over the past 8 years, he has served as a RAAM start and finish line announcer.
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