Disqualified!

This weekend was the long haul up to Milaca. A two hour drive.
It was surprisingly warm for a mid-November race, which was good because I forgot all my base-layers...
Anyways, the typical warm up and pre race rituals went on without a hitch. Then late as usual the race was off. I had a worse start then normal and had to work my way through a whole bunch of people. It took a lap and a half before I was in the group I wanted to be in, Matt Williams and Micha. Things were going well for next few laps, I was feeling good and riding decently. At the bottom of the last decent of the lap I was pulling and then all of a sudden BAM! psssssss....
Some yells of surprise from behind and a destroyed tire quickly loosing any air.
Luckily this happened right before the pit. I ran in, had a bit of trouble changing the wheel. And was off again about 10 or 15 places back. I then chased hard for a lap and a half before catching Seans group. I was really quite tired at this point so I had to sit on for a bit, once recovered I went to the front and pulled. I saw two guys up the trail and Sean and I worked together to bring them in. One guy got a flat right after the pit, and shortly after we caught the other. By this time we had dropped the other two guys that had been with Sean when I caught them. With 1.5 laps to go I got a chance to attack Sean around a corner, I did so and was able to drop him, and stay away.

After the race an official came up to me and asked me about my wheel. I looked down and said, oh shit. I had grabbed the wrong wheel. In fact it was the wheel of the guy who flatted in front of us. They had been set up just like mine, right next to mine, and looked similar. With the rushing I did not even notice that it was the wrong wheel. Oops...
An honest mistake, but nevertheless it cost me the 8th place finish. Oh well, shit happens.

I hope they mark this in the future....