麻豆社区

Musher Jon Lucas wrapped up his season with the most important race win of all 鈥� the last one.

Lucas edged rival Marine Gastard by just 14 seconds to enter the off-season a champion.

The Watson Valley Grand Finale race was hosted out of the Mount Lorne Community Centre Sunday morning, concluding a season that featured challenging winter conditions.

Twenty teams competed in three divisions 鈥� nine-mile sled and skijor categories alongside a five-mile recreational event.

Lucas and his team of seven dogs edged Gastard and her team of eight, crossing the finish line with a time of 33:30. Gastard finished in 22:44, with Alex Rochat placing third in 34:08.

Skijorer Katherine Sheepway finished the season the same way she started it 鈥� in the winner's circle.

She and her four dogs won the nine-mile skijor event in 35:09. Virginia Sarrazin finished second with two dogs, in 36:06.

Rochat strapped on the skis for the five-mile recreational event, winning it in a time of 26:47.

Lucas, who is running his partner Deb Knight's dogs, passed three other mushers en route to his win.

His win reversed the results of the previous Twister race at the Takhini Hot Springs last month, where Gastard had edged him for second place by just three seconds.

Rochat had won the hot springs event, besting Gastard by 24 seconds.

"I crashed three times, because I was trying to go so fast at the hot springs,鈥� Lucas recalled. "I鈥坒igured I needed to learn how to use my brake a little bit ... and I鈥坉id. I鈥坉idn't crash, I controlled myself in the turns, and I beat her.

"I think the dogs would've won it at the hot springs if I'd behaved properly,鈥� he chuckled.

Lucas said he left his slowest dog at home for the series finale 鈥� a move that paid off.

"You're only as fast as your slowest dog,鈥� he said. "I had a dog that is a bit sensitive to heat and after about seven miles, he starts to slow down, so I didn't run him.鈥�

The race featured temperatures just below freezing, and Lucas said his early start helped. Teams starting after him had to deal with the sun for a longer period, he said.

The Tweddell twins, who represented the Yukon at the Arctic Winter Games last month, also competed in the nine-mile race. Lori Tweddell finished fifth with five dogs in 38:54, beating her dad, Luc, and his eight dogs by 30 seconds. Louve Tweddell and her team of six dogs finished eighth.

Visit http://dpsay.wordpress.com for full results from the Twister series finale.