The Defi Boreal 100K Loppet was back for its sophomore year on March 24th. It is held in Forestville, Quebec on the North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, a spectacular 4 hour drive North East of Quebec City.
The race occurs along a 100K snowmobile network, prepared on this one day per year for XC skiers. It is one day, when both XC skiers and snowmobilers work in perfect harmony. The 8 aid stations along the 100K loop are manned by members of the local snowmobile club who enthusiastically support athletes as they go by. The course ranges from undulating to steep during the first 60K as the course heads inland from the Gulf and moves deep into the heart of typical Canadian Shield territory. At the 60K point the true hilly section ends with a quad burning 1K climb. After several minutes of high speed descending the course follows a river valley back to the finish line in Forestville. Best of all the start and finish line are at the back door of the race hotel allowing racers to crawl straight into the shower and bed after an exhausting 100K of racing.
This year, due to some logging in the region, the course had to be lengthened to 103K, making the challenge that much more difficult for the skiers. To a person, all skiers admitted that once they passed the 100K sign, the final 3K were pure torture and elation, wrapped into one emotion.
There are several high speed descents, which in 2005 were quite manageable given the early day colder snow conditions. Not so in 2006. With several days of above freezing conditions, the track was frozen granular early in the day with temperatures just below freezing overnight. This resulted in several high speed hair raising descents. But soon, the temperatures climbed to around 5 degrees C, converting the fast track to very slow slushy conditions. The final 43K along the river valley was made even more difficult with a tough wind blowing from the gulf onto shore.
After a spectacular success in its first year, the organizers expanded the program to include 54, 27, 14 and 7 K events. All the events were skating skiing, except the 14 and 7 which also offered classic versions. In total, the weekend festival grew to over 200 athletes, with 41 taking on the 100K.
In the marquis 100K event, three time biathlon Olympian Steve Cyr was back to defend his title. Steve was on a tear this season, having won the Overlander 50K Loppet in Kamploops, BC, the Tour Mont Valin 50K skate near Chicoutimi Quebec. He also silvered in the Keskinanda World Loppet 50K and the Mont Ste Anne 40K classic (losing both in sprint finishes). Having set the course record at 5:11 at last year’s Defi Boreal, he had hopes to go sub 5 if conditions supported it. The event’s President of Honour, Pierre Lavoie would have ideally provided Cyr with a strong challenge. One of the top masters XC skiers in Canada as well as a two time winner of the Masters division at the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon, Lavoie had both the endurance pedigree and speed to mount a challenge. Unfortunately, he had been sick the previous week and elected to support the event by doing the 54K (which he won). Instead, the challenge would have to come from Mike Dyon, a former 2:14 national team marathoner, who at age 50 is just starting to really pick up the sport of XC skiing and training partner Paul Tolomiczenko. Both are coached by Cyr. In fact, it was the “coach†Cyr who was seen in the wax room on the morning of the race meticulously preparing the skis of his own athletes with HF8, Swix Cera F powder, and some heavy duty rilling.
