by boo » Sat Mar 01, 2008 6:12 pm
Sadly, how the ITC is going to deal with the start isn't resolved yet, to my knowledge. IDEALLY they would slide the schedule up and have bib #56 immediately after bib#54, and also have bib #84 immediately follow bib #82, and then Joe go out next-to-last and Rachael last, after bib #96. Clock doesn't start until they actually leave the chute, not at bib #55 and bib #83 time slots. Having Rach leave alone an hour ahead of Joe doesn't really make sense....tough to try to shut a team down part way out, wait for another musher, which will come up unrested to a VERY rested team. The silliness of 2005 should NOT be repeated, with the clock starting 2 hours before she actually left AND having to add that differential to her mandatory 24....thus being penalized twice, in essence. By going out last, when they had done their 24 and 24 hours, 2 minutes, they could depart. It would least impact all other competitors, too.
boo