November 20, 2012 (Gatineau, QC) – The Gatineau Loppet is pleased to announce that the first wave of its 55 km classic style race will be sanctioned by Cross-Country Canada (CCC), allowing Canadian and international long distance skiers to collect points for the Canadian Points List.

Last year, the CCC sanction was given to the 51 km freestyle but will be attributed to the 55 km classic race this year. “This change has been decided to promote the new linear [point-to-point] 55 km classic course starting at Lake Philippe that will be introduced in 2013 for the Gatineau Loppet’s 35th edition!” explains Yan Michaud, President of the Gatineau Loppet.

To highlight the importance and the seriousness of the elite program in the event, all skiers taking part in the 55 km classic race’s first wave must provide one of the following licenses: FIS license, a license issued by a national Federation (e.g. international competitors), a CCC Racing license or a Cross-Country Canada Supporting Member’s License (day license). The Gatineau Loppet will offer prizes to both the top three men and women of this new 55 km classic style race. First place will receive $1,200, second $600 and third $200.

For any questions concerning the licenses, prizes or elite program, please visit the Gatineau Loppet website at www.gatineauloppet.com .

November 19, 2012 (Montreal, QC) – The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is now proposing that sanctions for serious, first-time doping offences be increased to four years from the present two years. This proposal, scheduled to take effect in 2015, was contained in a second draft of the new World Anti-Doping Code discussed at a meeting in Montreal this past weekend.

In a conference call with journalists this morning, WADA President John Fahey spoke about how member groups of his organization “overwhelmingly asked for sanctions to be increased [for those caught doping] with substances such as anabolic steroids and human growth hormones.”

Fahey also made repeated references to the “Armstrong Affair” and revealed that WADA closely studied USADA’s reasoned decision against Lance Armstrong. “This was a most comprehensive judgment and no one could doubt that [the reasoned decision] is right,” he said. And Fahey denied that USADA had gone beyond what WADA rules allowed it to do.

During the same conference call, Fahey confirmed a zero-percent funding increase for WADA in 2013. But he said that WADA has sufficient financial reserves to keep doing its work to combat doping, at least in the short term.