With Harlan off to the worlds and Elk doing battle at the Fool's Gold 100 it was left to Wurster to fly the colors for Team Green at the 7th annual Darkhorse 40. In past the course has been a 2 lap format of flowing singletrack punctuated with several climbs spaced around the course. This year, with all of the rain we have been experiencing, it was changed to a 4 lap race riddled with short punchy climbs. Past races had featured a bit over 2500 of climbing but this year it was closer to 4300. Coupled with temps and humidity both in the 90s and a heat index in solidly in the 100s it would prove to be a day of attrition across the field.
Being my home course and knowing what was in store (course/heat/humidity) I opted to go at an easier pace for the first lap and see how the race was panning out. Not even halfway through the second lap riders were beginning to succumb to the conditions with bodies strewn about the course in varying states of dehydration, heat exhaustion and broken bikes. By the end of the third lap I was working my way through the field and on the final lap was able to take back some chunks of the riders around me. There was quite a bit of confusion in the results (probably heat exhaustion at the scoring tent), which is still be sorted out but looks like I was able to grab third in Expert Masters.
Enjoying a well earned post race PBR!

The Independent Fabrication MTB team once again was out in numbers (smaller then usual) for the Wilderness 101. A combination of injuries and the economic downturn had trimmed the ranks of the IF team to just 3 participants. Jeff Whittingham in open, Mike Ramponi in singlespeed and Chris Wurster in masters. Harlan Price, nursing a broken wrist, provided moral support to the rest of the team. Weather would play a factor in the race with rain continuing right up to the night before the start and the heat and humidity that had been lacking this summer arriving just in time for the start of the race ensuring maximum suffering over the course of the day.
With 325 riders stepping up to the starting line it was Mike Ramponi taking top IF honors finishing 7th in singlespeed and 31st overall. Jeff Whittingham followed in 64th and Chris Wurster crossed the line 7th in masters and 138th overall, completing his 7th straight W101. We'll all be rooting for Harlan at the worlds and will look to step up the results at the Shenandoah 100 over the Labor day weekend.