Good morning Pedigree Stage Stop Race Fans,
We sit at 28F with just a dusting of fresh snow in town. Likely there is going to be more new snow up on South Pass. After inspecting the Sinks Canyon Trail yesterday afternoon the decision was made to run the 6th Stage up at South Pass again. With 27.5 Miles that is a shorter Stage, yet a challenging one, with several steep climbs.
The fastest overall runtimes yesterday were 13.6 mph, a good mile slower than the previous Stages. Anny Malo’s lead grew to 25 miutes and 27 seconds. It is a much different picture for places 2 to 4, which are only separated by 2 and half minutes!
Here is what Jake Robinson had to say from afar:
The Hammer Drops-
With 5/7 days complete, teams are running out of time and trail to make big gains. Despite being one of the shorter trails in the race at only 27.5 miles, high winds, fresh snow, and big climbs resulted in the slowest moving averages for the top pack, with the winning time completing the lap at 13.6 mph. Teams have now run 4 days in a row, and have 2 more to go before all is said and done. Any mistakes or misjudgments will compound quickly in these closing laps, and choosing the right dogs is absolutely critical. The old adage of “races are won by the dogs left at the truck” has never been more true, and the long game strategy of utilizing the pool and banking rest will make or break the coming days for ambitious mushers.
Cathy Rivest dropped the hammer and won the lap, besting her sister-in-law and the A-team by 8 seconds! This means that the famed yellow bib will change hands for the first time this year! Cathy is in a tight race for a podium spot and needs to maximize every mile and opportunity, as her competition looks like they aren’t going to just hand it over. Despite finishing 2nd for the day, Anny Malo, put some additional time in the bank on Bruce ‘The Moose’ Magnusson, who is still sitting in an overall 2nd place. Stephane Roy found his stride again and ran an impressive lap with his 8-dog team and battled back some precious time in his quest for 2nd place, but both Roy and Magnusson have been put on notice by Cathy Rivest, and the boys might have some trouble fending off a Malo/Rivest “shake and bake” (Talladega Nights, anyone?).
Outside of the Eastern Canadian Trifecta, Magnusson gave up time to Anny Malo on the way out as she caught and passed him at the halfway mark, indicating that she made over 3 minutes in the first 14 miles, but only made about 1 minute on the way home, which likely indicates a steady run from Magnusson and that he still has gas in the tank. Bruce is a methodical, studious dog driver that always keeps his next day and even next race in mind as he’s driving his team. ‘Comeback kid’ Crittenden was very happy with how her team performed, according to post race interviews, and is hanging right in the top 5. Alix will need to make some big moves and capitalize on any errors that the teams in front her may make, but she’s been at this game long enough to know that it ain’t over til it’s over, and that there’s still trail ahead to make a move, but that window is quickly closing.
‘Gravy’ Dave Hochman burst into the top 10 with a stellar run that gives him some nice momentum in his overall placing! This former world champ is figuring it out and may be poised to make a bid for some big gains in the coming days. Liam ‘Young Gun’ Conner was back in form, and although he finished 7th for the day, he clawed back some much needed time on Germany’s Michael Tetzner for the 6th place overall standing. Liam is becoming a fan favorite and getting cheers from all over the world, so here’s hoping this tenacious young man has a strong finish! Another young driver also had a great day, as Leonie Tetzner bested her old man by over a minute and a half for an 8th place day finish! Go, Leonie, go!
EDIT: BREAKING NEWS
We have learned that due to lack of snow teams will NOT be racing in Sink’s Canyon! This presumably means that the stage will once again be run at South Pass, aka the toughest 27.5 miles in Wyoming! While the trail will be familiar to both mushers and dogs, this may actually prove to be a disadvantage to some. New trails are exciting and mentally exhilarating for dogs. As teams line up for their 5th day of racing, none of which have been a cakewalk, dogs may recognize where they’re at and be bored of the trail and not as enthusiastic as they would be in new scenery. Today’s race in South Pass saw almost a complete shufflePedigree Stage Stop Race same hold true tomorrow??
//Tomorrow’s race will again be near Lander, but at a different trail head. Sink’s Canyon is famous for the first 4+ miles being straight uphill and through a series of switchbacks backs, and has typically been a longer 33+ mile stage. What this also means is that the last 4+ miles is straight downhill, and mushers must be mindful to not over run their teams, which would make the closing lap in Dubois a long, gritty day.//
As seems to be the theme this year, another challenging forecast awaits, with even higher winds and more snow are expected. Malo is an unstoppable force at this rate, but positions 2-5 are still fully up for grabs. Will we see larger strings tomorrow in an attempt to overpower the conditions and make a play for a step up in position? Or will mushers be conservative and run a team they can better handle, control, and drive on the challenging trail? What do YOU think? As always, check out the Pedigree Stage Stop page and don’t forget to like and share the Robinson Race Roundup Report!
