Wentzel Wins River Monster Hard Enduro
R
ieju USA's Quinn Wentzel took
home the win at the River
Monster Hard Enduro, hosted at
Kairos Wilderness Resort in Glen
Lyn, Virginia, a repeat of his fin-
ish at the same event during the
USHE Fall Series in 2023.
Property owner, Jared Spen-
cer, took feedback from last
year's race and upped the ante.
The race started with a 22-mile
first lap, the first few miles of
which eased riders in, with sec-
tion difficulty progressing as
the course progressed. Riders
were treated to battling the
infamous White Whale, a rocky,
uphill ravine that is a must-see
for anyone riding the property,
along with plenty of hillclimbs
that took full advantage of the
Virginian elevation changes. The
14-mile second lap was a mostly
different course, pulling in some
quintessential hard-enduro ter
-
rain, including a section known
as "Clam Rock," a tight, hilly S-
turn that many riders resorted to
launching their bikes up in their
fight to reach the top.
More than 180 riders took to
the start line. In the Pro class,
Wentzel was second going into
the woods, but less than a mile
in, had already made the pass
for the lead, with Nick Fahringer
and Ryder Guest on his heels.
Just as he did at this race last
year, he was slowly able to add
to his lead at every check.
Until the start of the second
lap, it was a battle among Fah
-
ringer, Guest and HTR GasGas'
Gauge Key for second and third
place. IRC Beta's James Flynn
found his groove in the second
lap, slowly making his way up
the pack from his eighth-place
start, making the pass on Key
just before the finish line to take
second place, with Key rounding
out the top three.
"I was second going into the
woods and made a pass pretty
WIND
IN THE
P54
Rieju's Quinn Wentzel
was the big winner at
the River Monster Hard
Enduro in Virginia.
PHOTOS: STEPHANIE VETTERLY
