Why cyclist like Nordic Skiing

While taking a study brake today I caught some of the Men's Nordic Combined. Watching the xc portion of the event it looked a lot like a road bike race in extra slow motion. You had a peloton of riders keeping the pace, a couple of racers trying to bust the group apart, and a mad sprint at the end for the win. Besides the obvious benefits the physical cross training provides I noticed the mental aspect of the chess match that plays such a crucial in all endurance events. It’s just too bad there isn’t the NASCAR aspect to Nordic skiing, no great crashes like in road racing.