Hello Pedigree Stage Stop Race Fans,
phew, what an exiting Stage this has been. Snow started right before the 8 a.m. Musher Meeting and pretty much stayed all the way until the last team, Mike Bestgen, crossed the finishing line. At time visibility was very low out on the trail. Here an analysis from afar, by Stage Stop Competitor Jake Robinson, from Robinson Racing Sled Dogs:
-Blowin’ In The Wind-
There are days you race, and there are days that you endure. Today’s lap of the Pedigree Stage Stop Race in Kemmerer is one of the shorter, less mountainous trails, but that doesn’t make it any less challenging, as high winds, squalls, and fresh snow obliterated the trail surface and limited visibility. But, the times and moving speeds of many top competitors are a testament to the work of the Pedigree trail crew, as the base seemed to hold up, allowing for dogs to maintain their footing and gallop.
Before we look at the performances of the day, I want to address something that I think is fairly interesting as far as race strategy goes. Last year, the race changed from a 14 dog pool and maximum team sizes of 10-dogs per day, to a 16 dog pool with a 12-dog per day limit, allowing drivers to run bigger, more powerful teams. And the practical effect of this has been that team sizes have gotten… smaller? We are seeing more and more drivers leave the line with only 8 or 9 dogs as a strategy move, preserving more depth and allowing more rest within their pools. When it was a 10-dog race, it was pretty rare to see a team leave the line with less than 10, and if they did, it was usually a choice made out of necessity. In this current iteration of the race, the exception is to run with a ‘full deck’ of 12 and the norm seems to be running 8, 9, or 10 dogs.
Malo ran another 8-dog team today and won the lap, but there are a couple of teams that are figuring out how to run with her and narrowing the gap. While she is enjoying a comfortable lead, and will win this race handily barring something extreme, she was certainly not coasting along out there, as multiple on the trail videos showed her calling on her dogs as well as pedaling to help them out. Bruce ‘The Moose’ Magnusson turned on the afterburners and was reportedly up on Malo at the various points along the trail, but may have ceded some time back to the frustratingly consistent Malo/Rivest team. Much to my chagrin, but you could put a 20 foot tall brick wall in front of Anny Malo and she would either lope up or through it at 16mph.
Bruce’s strong performance puts him in 2nd overall, positioning him well going into the final 3 days of racing.
Speaking of strong performances, Crittenden clapped back with a stellar run and a small string of dogs, showing her know-how and shaking off yesterday’s tough run. Rumor has it that she stopped for nearly 2 minutes to assist another competitor, lost time which would have garnered her 2nd for the day. While she is still running at an overall deficit to Magnusson, Roy, and Cathy Rivest, her run today shows that she has a pathway to earning that time back, and I feel she is in fine position in the battle for the podium.
Michael Tetzner had one of the more pleasantly surprising races today, showing that he can compete even in less than ideal conditions. He made serious time on Liam Conner today, who will have his work cut out for him to fend off Tetzner’s march forward. But, if we have seen one thing in this race, it’s that ‘Young Gun’ Conner isn’t afraid to work! Al Borak rounded out today’s Top 5, showcasing an impressive amount of depth within the Magnusson program. Al is primarily running younger dogs on this second string, indicating that the future is bright and that Team Magnusson is going to continue to be a threat for years to come. Impressively, Al was only 2 minutes off the pace of the A-team from their truck!
Cathy Rivest and Stephan Roy had solid runs, but gave ground they might not be able to get back to both Magnusson and Crittenden today. Roy took a ‘shock and awe’ approach to the first two laps and many fans are curious to see if he can regain the momentum that he’s lost the last 2 days. With three days of long, tough stages and a difficult forecast ahead, life is unlikely to get any easier for the rookie. But he is still enjoying an overall lead on Rivest and Crittenden and just needs to hold on and not allow for any more big gains. I predict that we will see further movement in the 2-5 slots, as this dog race is far from over.
Further down the field, there are some really fun races within the race! Tetzner is closing in on Liam Conner overall and 9th-15th are within 10 minutes, allowing plenty of opportunity for excitement and turnover. The teams are heading for back to back days of racing in Lander, which is known for extreme winds, steep climbs, and long miles. After today, teams are only slightly over the halfway mark until this race is complete. Will Bruce ‘The Moose’ take the yellow bib before this is all over? Can Crittenden the ‘Comeback Kid’ fight her way back into a top spot? Will Roy the rookie defy the odds and fend off the experienced teams behind him? Stay tuned to the awesome content being produced by the Stage Stop team to find out!
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