Cascade Stage 4: Krogg's Eye View

OK sports fan -- Krogg coverage begin now. Krogg have very very little energy right now, so please bare with Krogg.


This stage traditionally very bad for Krogg. Stage start in Bend, but first thing racers climb straight up Mt. Bachelor. This mean it exceedingly easy to swing axe right out of hands. On more than one occasion, Krogg find himself completely dropped (dropped from field, dropped from caravan, and dropped from line of 50 pickup trucks towing boats on way to lakes) before race even reach summit of first KOM, and Krogg spend better part of next 40 miles chasing and chasing and chasing. Keep in mind, Krogg only do this stage twice before, and both times, Krogg get shelled like bag of pecans, so Krogg especially eager to not get dropped. See how hard race is:




This time Krogg still attack on slopes of Mt. Bachelor, but only once or twice, and Krogg never really in danger of getting dropped. Krogg tell self "easy does it Krogg -- maintain firm grip on axe -- there plenty more chances to swing!"


Then, on blisteringly fast descent from Mt. Bachelor, Krogg use super aero tuck and drift off front of field. Krogg look back and see several other racers (Paul Mach, some Trek/Livestrong kid, some Garmin kid, and some Yahoo kid), so Krogg work together with racers for several miles. Yikes we go hard! Krogg pretty sure him started big breakaway of day! GOOOOO KROGG!!! Krogg achieve one small goal of getting race numbers read over race radio (Krogg hope something like "Hagens Berman rider number 91 is friggin' killing it right now.")


Sadly, Krogg not get to live dreams of being in big breakaway at Cascade. Field chase down Krogg, and then Krogg very very tired. No, make that very very very very tired. Krogg spend rest of race getting water bottles for team, and distributing Swedish Fish to other racers (yes Krogg bring bag of Swedish fish in race, and yes, Krogg give some to Floyd!). On second trip up Mt. Bachelor, Krogg get dropped and just slowly ride it in with Andrew Pinfold. This ok -- at least Krogg break spell of getting dropped over first climb.