Thanks to everyone who threw down for me and the team. It's such an important part of us surviving through our season.

And here you are...

Frame and Fork!: Susan Amick
Stan's Wheelset: Lamphier
Time Pedals: Brandon Laurman
WTB Tires: Ken Gilbert
WTB Saddle: David Lowe
Tifosi Glasses: Larry Camp
Ergon Grips: Ron Sacks


Yeah!!!

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Here is the one pic from racing at the World Championships that looks any good.
Check the Blog for the race recap.
www.boxedbee.blogspot.com

We went, we drank, we rode, we raced. IT WAS GOOOOOOOD!

Once again a trio of IF riders stepped up to the starting line for the 11th edition of the SM100 with Mike Ramponi and Buck Keich in the Singlespeed and Chris Wurster in Masters. This year's race was a waiting list event with close to 600 riders taking the line on Sunday morning.
Race day dawned cool and cloudy with temps in the mid 50s and expected to top out in the upper 70s. With the lack of rain over the past week the course was dry, fast but real dusty, everything was in place for some fast times to go down. Due to the dusty conditions the pack was paced out of the Stokesville campground by the motocross bikes and finally cut loose right after the iron bridge. By the time it was all over and the beer was flowing IF had personal bests across the board and riders on the box in Singlespeed and Masters with these results -

Ramponi bringing it home in 8:30 for 4th in Singlespeed

Buck in at 9:22 taking 18th in Singlespeed

Wurster done at 9:54 taking 5th in Masters

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.

IF Racing's 19 year old phenom, Emerson Oronte finished 9th in the U23 National Road Race. He was in the breakaway for the entire 100 mile race in 100 degree heat of Bend, Oregon. Emerson was one of only 3 amateurs in the 12 man break which included a lot of Garmin and Livestrong Riders. Outnumbered and without a teammate he had to follow the attacks alone and eventually had to pull 3 of them, Guy East and Bjorn Selander (Trek-Livestrong), and last years champ Kirk Carlson(Garmin), and Bjorn Selander for the last 30 k. They then dumped their victim in the last three k to rob him of his rightfull 6th placing. Still, 9th is awesome and Emerson was so excited he zipped his jersey and crossed the finish line pumping his fist in the air.

He says he is coming back to take it all next year. He is only 19 and has 3 more chances for U23 glory. We are proud.