Well, the 2006 Yukon Quest is now history, and good riddance to it. This was definitely one of the long race's most ignoble and ill-starred years. It's to nobody's credit (except that of the military helicopter pilots who flew the risky rescue missions) that several teams had to be airlifted off Eagle Summit and withdrawn from the race. What a shambles. No doubt that will be blamed on the weather, and quickly forgotten. Lance Mackey won, in case anyone hasn't already heard, or couldn't guess. What's interesting is that the official Yukon Quest website had the chutzpah to publish The Lowdown on Run/Rest Strategies" -- no joke! One would have thought they would want to keep this aspect of the race quiet, but perhaps I'm giving credit for intelligence that isn't there.
Read the article quickly -- before it disappears from their website. I've made a text-file copy just in case, because I cannot quite believe that they would come out and explain this matter as clearly as they have done. Surely somebody brighter than the rest will wake up and deep-six that article. If anyone doubted what has previously been printed here concerning winning strategies for the Quest "on the backs of the dogs" -- well, now you have it straight from the horse's mouth.
Posted by ditkoofseppala at February 23, 2006 01:59 AM