Cain's Quest: victory for Team Maine Racing

The epic snowmobile race across Labrador came to an exhilarating and emotional endFriday morning, as Team Maine Racingwhipped over a hill and down through the finish line on Tanya Lake in Labrador City, clinching the Cain's Quest 2016 title.

As soon as the team slowed to a stop, the cheering crowd surrounded racers Robert Gardner, of Maine, and Andrew Milley, of Labrador City, with hugs, high-fives and countless pictures.

• Full coverage: Read our past stories on Cain's Quest 2016

"This one's forGramps! This one's for Pops!" shouted Gardneras the team clutched their trophy, dedicating the race to their recently deceased grandfathers.

It's a bit of an unreal moment to haul across the finish line with Rob. It's been a long time in the making.- Andrew Milley

Milley's grandfather passed away during the race, and his family was unable to be at the finish line because of the funeral.

The biannual Cain's Quest began one week ago, when 37 two-man teams roared away from Labrador City on the grueling 3,500-kilometre circuit billed as the longest snowmobileendurance race in the world, though the wildest terrain Labrador can offer.

By Friday morning, only 18 teams were left on track to finish. The rest scratched due tomechanical or medical reasons.

A long-awaited win

Both Gardner and Milley have known each other and raced together for years, with several previous Cain's Quests under their belts.

But this win was a first.

"It's a bit of an unreal moment to haul across the finish line with Rob. It's been a long time in the making," said Milley.

"We had a good shot to win it in 2012. We were running 19 minutes out of the lead and I crashed, beat the machine up and broke some ribs we had as good a chance to win as anybody, so this was kind of a revenge on that," said Gardner.

But this revenge came with a cost: Milley's frostbitten nose belies just some of the trials the team faced in their 2016 quest.

"It's been a hard beat, it's been a hard week," said Gardner.

"Everyone thinks it comes easy for us.It doesn'twe broke everything, but we kept going, kept turning, kept fighting."

Saskatchewan surprise

Team Maine Racing wasn'tthe only veteran teamwho, at long last, made the podium in 2016.

Just minutes after Team Where's Bow Cycle of Calgary whipped through the finish line to claim second place, came the veteran team from Saskatchewan, the aptly named Team Abel's Revenge.

But third place wasn't all that awaited them at the end of their trek: their wives, whohad flown out to surprise them, were decked out in Saskatchewan Rough Riders jerseys and holding oversized champagne bottles.

"It was something that was in the back of my mind [that] it would be amazing if they surprised us at the finish line," said racer Robert Newton, amazed his dream had come true.

"They always race with such passion we're just really proud of them," said his wife Katie Newton.

"It's really stressful for us back at home to just watch, there's nothing we can do if something goes wrong. We just stay at home and worry. But it's what they love to do, so you can't not support that."

2018?

Newton and his teammate Joey Lukan said this year's Cain's Quest would most likely be their last.

But organizers hope to continue this year'sthe momentumof attracting racers from out west, the U.S.and Finlandto come to Labrador and test their mettle.

"It's great for the race," said Glenn Emberley,chair of Cain's Quest.

"It's good to see people outside of Labrador being able to bring that level of competition."

Emberley said it's too early to tell what's in store for the next race in 2018,but it's unlikely organizers would change theroute substantially.

"It's about trying to get to the communities," said Emberley.

"We want to continue to bring Cain's Quest to all parts of Labrador."

Follow our live blogfor updates.