Kona’s Simms In First Place After A Handful Of Wins, Canadian National Champ Title And 8th Place At First UCI Event, ‘Cross Racer Sits On Top KONAWORLD (October 22, 2008) - In the competitive bike racing category of cyclocross, which is historically dominated by European racers, Kona FSA-Factory CX Team rider Wendy Simms has changed the norm. Simms, who recently captured the Canadian ’Cross National Champion title, is currently perched in first place in the UCI World Cup points standings in the 119-racer women’s elite cyclo-cross category. After a handful of back to back wins in North America and an eighth-place finish at the first World Cup cyclocross event of the year in Kalmthout, Belgium, Wendy is in the lead with 309 points. Daphny Van Der Brand of the Netherlands sits in second with 300 points. Simms will try to mainatin her top position this weekend at the second UCI World Cup race in Tabor, Czech Republic. Then it’s on to races in Boulder, Colorado (Nov. 1) and the third UCI World Cup event in Pijnacker, Netherlands Nov. 9. Keep on pedaling Wendy!

Kona Hires Team Mechanic

- New Wrench Dusty LaBarr To Keep Factory Team Riders’ Rigs Running Healthy -

KONAWORLD (October 20, 2008) - Kona has a new team bike mechanic. His name’s Dusty LaBarr. He’s got experience. Lots of it. And he’s also fond of long walks in the park and bubble baths.

Dusty’s been around bikes and racing for a long time. As Kona’s team mechanic, he’ll be tuning bikes, greasing chains, adjusting shock pressures and putting back celebratory beers with the gang - among other things.

Before becoming the newest member of the Kona family, he started driving the NMBS circuit in his old white van five years ago. Dusty and his now wife, Georgia Gould, were dirty privateers funding their racing through team sponsor Tamarack Resort, a Kona Bikepark located in northern Idaho.

For the last two years, Dusty worked with Trek/VW as their team’s head mechanic. Now, he’ll be rolling with the Factory Team for the remainder of the cyclo-cross season in North America and Europe, as well as the mountain bike season making sure the team has what they need to continue to win races and spread the Kona love. Dusty and Georgia reside in Colorado.

With Dusty, we have kept our Factory Team mechanic gig in the family. Georgia raced on our ‘Cross team in 2005 and Dusty has been getting dirty alongside our mountain bike team for the past few years. He already has a great working relationship with our athlete’s and is a familiar face to most of us at Kona.

Welcome Dusty!

KONAWORLD (August 20, 2008) – A trio of Kona Factory Team riders reached the podium last weekend at two races in British Columbia – Kokanee Crankworx and the seven-stage TransRockies Challenge race.

Racing in the pro women’s Canadian Open Downhill race at Kokanee Crankworx in Whistler, B.C., DH specialist Tracy Moseley took second place in the 17-racer field. Moseley finished the burly, technical course with a time of 3 minutes, 47 seconds – a mere two seconds off winner Rachel Atherton who Moseley has been battling with all season.

In the multi-stage TransRockies Challenge mountain bike race from Panorama to Fernie, B.C., Wendy Simms and husband Norm Thibault defended their mixed team title by winning all seven stages and crossing the finish more than an hour ahead of the second-place team. Kris Sneddon and training partner Max Plaxton finished the race second overall in the men’s team category – 25 minutes off the winning team. The pair won stage five of the race. The course featured roughly 360 miles of riding.

source: The Kona Bicycle Co

- Wicks, Trebon And Simms Show Power At Second NMBS Event; While Kindree Nabs Bronze At Pan-Am Championships -

KONAWORLD (April 7, 2008) – Making their mark both stateside and in South America last weekend, Kona Factory Team riders proudly stood atop the podium in Fountain Hills, Arizona and the Pan-Am Mountain Bike Championships in Venezuela.

Competing in three races last weekend at the McDowell Mountain Park in the second NMBS event, team riders Barry Wicks, Ryan Trebon and Wendy Simms all secured top-three finishes in at least one race. Kris Sneddon also competed and finished in the top-15 in all of his races.

In the first race of the weekend, the Super D time trial, riders attacked the seven-mile course that consisted entirely of sandy fire roads, loose washes and three significant climbs. Simms took third in the pro women’s category with a time of 18 minutes, 27 seconds. Trebon led the men, finishing third with a time of 16:20 – only 25 seconds behind the winner – while Wicks took 12th and Sneddon grabbed 15th.

On Saturday, Wicks and Trebon tag-teamed the technical short track course which featured “The Hill” – a steep, loose sandy climb that only a few riders were able to muscle up on their bikes. Battling with Geoff Kabush to the finish, Wicks missed first place by one second, while Trebon captured third a mere 25 seconds back of Wicks. In the women’s race, Simms (who is the current Canadian National Cyclocross Champion) rode in the lead pack for most of the race until a crash cost her valuable time. After an intense and exciting sprint to the finish versus Australian National Champion Dellys Starr, Simms took fourth; 33 seconds behind winner Katerina Nash.

“I looked over my shoulder to see where Georgia [Gould] was and I buzzed Katerina’s rear tire,” said Simms of her crash. “It was my own fault.”

In the final race of the weekend, the three-lap Elite XC, Wicks and Trebon started strong but didn’t have the gas to hang in the lead pack to the finish. Wicks took fourth place with a time of 1 hour, 28 minutes, 49 seconds, while Trebon finished the race with a flat tire. Sneddon held on for 11th place.

South of the border in Venezuela, Factory Team rider Neal Kindree represented Team Canada at the Pan-Am Mountain Bike Championships. Racing in a field of 30 elite riders on Sunday in the U-23 category, Kindree started off the hot race by getting trapped behind a pile-up crash within the first 300 feet. Not to be conquered, he spent the ensuing seven laps climbing his way up to the lead pack on a long, non-technical and dusty course. Kindree finished in third-place taking the bronze medal. He also automatically qualified for the World Championships in Italy in late-June.

“It was really cool to see all the competition and what was going on in the mountain biking world outside Canada and the U.S.,” Kindree said. “It was a unique experience for sure.”

source: Keith Cozzens | Base Camp Communications | www.basecampcomm.com