Musher Travis Beals and his team round the last corner of the trail heading toward the finish line of this year’s Tustumena 200 Sled Dog Race on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018 at Freddie’s Roadhouse in Ninilchik, Alaska. He took second place. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News) - Ninilchik, Alaska 
Nicolas Petit claims his first T200 victory, third win in a row
Musher Nicolas Petit can finally say he’s won the Tustumena 200 Sled Dog Race.
By claiming the top spot Sunday in the race that takes teams through the Caribou Hills on the southern Kenai Peninsula with time of 26 hours and 26 minutes, Petit topped his performance last year, when he took second to Cim Smyth. Petit had also run the T200 previously, before its 3-year drought from 2013-2016 due to lack of snow, but had to scratch.
This marks Petit’s third win in a row this season. A transplant from France, he has run in the Iditarod every year since 2011, finishing in third place last year.
“I wasn’t ever really worried,” he said of the win. “Because the outcome should only be, I ran my dogs to their capacity. So I don’t really care who’s coming (behind), but it’s interesting to see.”
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