February 16, 2014 (Gatineau, QC) – The polar sun swept in for this second day of competition of the 36th edition of the Gatineau Loppet. Race conditions were chilly, just above the 18 deg. C. limit. Despite the freezing weather, the mood was upbeat both indoors and out at the starting line just outside École secondaire Mont-Bleu.

All of the participants, elite as well as recreational skiers, were eager to hit the trails of Gatineau Park for the freestyle races and the very first edition of snowshoe races.

The women’s Long Distance Championships race was a back and forth battle and then a fairly clear cut victory for Quebec City’s Claude Godbut, 21 seconds over Sheila Kealey, of X-C Ottawa. Sabra Davison of Waterbury, U.S.A. was 3rd.

The men’s race was a contest between two, as Steffan Lloyd of Nakkertok and Quebec’s Marc-André Bédard battled it out for the 51k distance. Bédard prevailed at the end for a 2-1/2 second victory and capturing the Canadian Long Distance Championships. 3rd place went to Vincent Blais of Lac Megantic.

Here is a summary of the day’s results, followed by a round-up of the event.
51 KM POLAR FREESTYLE AND LONG-DISTANCE LOPPET CHAMPIONSHIP
Men
1. Marc-André Bédard (2:22:26.1) from Quebec City
2. Steffan Lloyd (2:22:28:7) Nakkertok
3. Vincent Blais (2:25:10.8) Lac Megantic

Women
1. Claude Godbout (2:51:01.7) from Quebec City
2. Sheila Kealey (2:51:23.3) X-C Ottawa
3. Sabra Davison (2:54:25.7) Waterbury

27 KM FREESTYLE
Men
1. Nicholas Pigeon (1:17:14.1) from Gatineau
2. Maxime Leboeuf (1:20:30.2)
3. Daniel Murray (1:22:07.5)
We would like to mention that Pierre Lavoie, the Honorary President of the Gatineau Loppet, finished the 27 km freestyle in 5th place.

Women
1. Véronique Fortin (1:28:09.8) from Gatineau
2. Karine Labonté (1:41:19.2)
3. Louise Martineau (1:43:26.3)

10 KM FREESTYLE
Men
1. Evan Carr (28:37.3) from Manlius, USA
2. Graham Perry (28:49.3)
3. Bryce Hartman (28:54.1)

Women
1. Tove Halvorsen (33:08.0) from Chelsea
2. Talia Hennessy (33:09.1)
3. Alia Sanger (33:10.9)

5 KM SNOWSHOE RACE (PRESENTED BY RAQUETTES GV)
1. Men: Julien Pensonneault (26:54.7)
1. Women: Véronique Fortin (26:03.5)

10 KM SNOWSHOE RACE (PRESENTED BY RAQUETTES ATLAS)
1. Men: David Le Porho (49:21.8)
1. Women: Claire Doule (1:01:55.5)

We would also like to mention the hundreds of children who, accompanied by their parents, braved the cold for the 2 km Mini Sport Échange Outaouais. Pierre Lavoie joined in the fun. This untimed race is part of the Carnaval Soleil Polaire, a big party presented by municipal councillors Mireille Apollon from the l’Orée-du-Parc district, and Louise Boudrias from the Parc-de-la-Montagne-Saint-Raymond district. Entertainment for the kids, music, inflatable structures and stiltwalkers helped warm up the families and skiers.

A GREAT TURNOUT
This 36th edition of the Gatineau Loppet served to confirm the fact that this is indeed the biggest cross-country ski event in Canada. More than 2,750 participants, including 170 for the Chelsea Super Sprint Jeunesse, took part in the activities between Friday the 14th and Sunday the 16th. The Sprint jeunesse, classic style races, freestyle races, long-distance Loppet championship, and race for the kids all added up to something for everyone.

Highlights of this 36th edition:
– A sold-out race for the 51 km linear classic, with 548 skiers registered.
– Nicholas Pigeon from gatineau, winner of the 27 km classic and 27 km freestyle.
– Long-distance Loppet championship wond by Marc-André Bédard for the men and Claude Godbout for the women, both of them biathletes on the national team.
– First edition of the snowshoe races, with 70 participants.
– First edition of the Chelsea super Sprint jeunesse, with more than 150 participants.
– Pierre Lavoie, honorary president, speaker and participant (51 km classic, 27 km freestyle  and the mini Sport Échange Outaouais)

Gatineau Loppet President Yan Michaud wants to thank “all of the skiers, attendants, spectators, volunteers and organizers who took part in this year’s event.” The next edition of the Gatineau Loppet will take place between February 13 and 15, 2015. We hope to see you there!

For additional information, consult the Gatineau Loppet Web site here.

Results