FORT KENT, Maine 芒鈧珺次元官网网址� A Quebec musher picked up his eighth victory in Maine's biggest sled dog race, finishing the truncated 250-mile Irving Woodlands Can-Am Crown 28 minutes ahead of his closest competitor.

Martin Massicotte, of St. Tite, Quebec, completed the course late Sunday, finishing the race in 20 hours, 7 minutes and 38 seconds. He was followed by two other Quebec mushers, Andre Longchamps, of Pont Rouge, and Denis Tremblay, of Saint-Michel-Des Saints.

The 25th edition of the race was shorted to 220 miles because part of the course had to be rerouted, race spokesman Beurmond Banville said.

All told, 14 teams started the race, and three dropped out.

There was some drama as Longchamps was within 17 minutes of Massicotte at the last checkpoint, but Massicotte widened his lead over the final 45 miles, Banville said.

The first U.S. finisher was Mike Hoff, of Silver Bay, Minnesota, who took fourth, followed by Ashley Patterson of Shirley, Maine.

The Associated Press