Skiers lose the layers as they hit Gatineau course
The 38th edition of the Gatineau Loppet in 2016 is going to be remembered for the brutal cold temperatures that were in the minus-30 range.
The 39th edition of the Loppet, which wrapped up Sunday at École secondaire Mont Bleu, will likely be remembered for the weather as well, but in a much more pleasant way. Just ask Petri Bailey.
“I overheated for sure (Saturday) so I decided I was going to lose a couple of layers and it was a good choice. I’m from Thunder Bay so this is pretty warm for us,” said Bailey, who skied the 27-kilometre freestyle Sunday in shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt as the mercury rose to several degrees above the freezing mark.
Bailey finished the race in one hour 21 minutes and 56 seconds flat but may have been fonder of the activities surrounding the race than the race itself.
“I love coming here. The organizers do a great job and I love all of the post-race food. That’s probably my favourite part about coming here is all the snacks at the end of the race. It’s a great weekend for sure.”
Meat pie was on the post-race menu by the way, which went along with the free chocolate milk, beer, fruits and nuts and maple taffy.
There was also music along the course and countless people cheering along the way as the organizers of the Loppet strive to make it more than just a ski race, as Loppet Chair Philippe Lebel explained.
“On the side of experience skiers, it’s the best ever in the history of the Loppet. We made a lot of effort to draw people in and show them it’s not like any other event in Canada. The skiers will see that it’s not just a race, but a celebration of cross country skiing.”
Daniel Murray of Dingwall, N.S., won the 27K freestyle in a time of 1:16:48.2 while his brother Ian was second in the 51K.
In the 51K classic on Saturday, Andy Shields of Thunder Bay was the winner and he completed the weekend sweep winning the 51K freestyle Sunday in a time of 2:23:30.5. “Definitely was the goal,” Shields said of the double win.