Former Yukon Quest champion, Sebastian Schnuelle, has withdrawn from this

year's race. The field now stands at 25 teams.

"I just don't feel the timing is right for me,” said Schnuelle. "A gut feeling told me not to go.”

Schnuelle had planned to run in the Copper Basin, which was cancelled last

Sunday due to what race officials referred to as impassable conditions.

He said the cancelled race had a "small part to do with it,” but that it was more a sense of intuition.

Schnuelle noted that the combination of having to put together a last-minute dog team and his hesitancy to compete was enough to convince him that withdrawing was the best decision.

Schneulle still plans on running in several races this season, including the upcoming Northern Lights 300 race, which runs from Big Lake to Finger Lake, Alaska.

Sue Thomas, executive director of the Yukon Quest, said that Schnuelle's withdrawal is a loss for the race but that he will still be involved in this years event as an "armchair musher and colour commentator.”

"He will update the site with some stories and insight, life on the trail, things like that,” Thomas said.

Schnuelle did not rule out the possibility of competing in next year's event.

"Things change very easily, so you never know,” he said.

"We'll see what happens.”