On the way to record participation A clear success for

On the way to record participation: A “clear success” for the opening of the Pentathlon des Neiges

The Pentathlon des Neiges got underway on Saturday and this year’s edition could very well beat its attendance record set in March 2020, just before the pandemic began.

New General Manager Cynthia Paquet did not hesitate to describe the first day of the event as a “great success”.

“We are very fortunate because after the pandemic there are events that are struggling to regain their attendance and participation rate. […] We hope to do even better next year,” she points out, while only about forty registrations are missing to reach the 2020 mark, for a total of 6,156 people.

On the way to a record turnout: A

DIDIER DEBUSSCISSORS/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC

Participants and spectators came to the site in their hundreds on Saturday. The first three events of the weekend passed off in good spirits despite the chilling February wind blowing across the Plains of Abraham.

“We had a great day. The two challenges this morning and one this afternoon went very well. I think the spectators and the participants are very happy,” continues the one who is leading her first winter pentathlon.

A lot of work

She claims snow grooming teams have had to work hard to tame the unexpected amounts of snow that fell on the Quebec region during the day on Friday.

“Of course, the courses were a bit softer than expected because of the snow, but we worked hard to offer the best possible conditions,” supports the DG.

On the way to a record turnout: A

DIDIER DEBUSSCISSORS/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC

Ms. Paquet also wanted to highlight the City of Quebec’s efforts to clear snow from the roads surrounding the Plains of Abraham.

The lack of maintenance last weekend, when the Carnaval de Quebec and the Tournoi International de Hockey Pee-Wee de Quebec were in full swing, had caused displeasure among the population.

victory among friends

The first team to cross the finish line of the Short Distance Team Challenge, the Quillés, completed the course in five stages with a time of 1h31m7s. The five friends, in their 20s, finished 9th after a bumpy start .6 km long cycle race took first place out of 193 teams.

The team that finished first in the Pentathlon des Neiges on the Plains of Abraham: Xavier Asselin, Edward Asselin, Thomas Csisztu, Alexis Marceau and Felix Bedar.

DIDIER DEBUSSCISSORS/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC

The team that finished first in the Pentathlon des Neiges on the Plains of Abraham: Xavier Asselin, Edward Asselin, Thomas Csisztu, Alexis Marceau and Felix Bedar.

Whoever climbed into the saddle, Xavier Asselin, bears all the blame. “That was our most difficult stage. Luckily we managed to climb the slope in the following ones,” he explains.

His brother Edward instead believes it is the mount that is responsible for the Skittles’ slow start. “It’s the bike I use every day to get around […] it’s rather rudimentary,” jokes his eldest.

After 14th place, the five companions started in the snowshoeing, skating, skiing and running disciplines to climb to the top step of the podium. Last year, the two Asselin brothers and their friend Félix Bédard took third place over the short distance with two other teammates. The addition of skater Alexis Marceau and cross-country skier Thomas Csisztu will have made the difference this year,

“We’re here mostly for fun, we’re a group of friends spending the weekend in Quebec. After third place we wanted to get first place and we worked hard for it. concludes Xavier Asselin.

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