E_News

ANNOUNCING THE 2008 KONA FACTORY RACE TEAM

FERNDALE, Washington, (Jan. 29, 2008) – Having spent years on the mountain biking racing circuit, the Kona Factory Team is ready to mix it up. This year, the team will be breaking out of the traditional racing calendar to compete in a number of unique races. In 2008, team riders will spread themselves out across the globe to participate in many events outside of the
standard racing scene. The team’s schedule will include more endurance events, as well as plenty of festival oriented races like the Kona 24-hours in Old Pueblo and the Single Speed World Championships.

Since the beginning, Kona has been committed to developing top-notch racing teams and this year we look to continue that heritage. By taking a novel approach to all categories of mountain bike racing in 2008, the Factory Team riders plan on enhancing their skills while racing in fresh events. With riders on the best products Kona and our team sponsors have to offer, the table is set to have one of our best seasons yet.

The precocious U-23 Canadian ripper and defending U-23 National Champion, Neal Kindree, will continue his drive to ascend the ranks of the elite fields. His goal is to win the Canada Cup Overall, which he relinquished in 2007, and defend his national title. Expect Kindree to be at the top of all the Canada Cups defending his titles in numerous well-respected British Columbia events like the Test of Mettle.

Seasoned versatile rider Tracy Moseley is coming off one of her most consistent seasons to date. She finished second overall in the 2007 World Cup, but had a disappointing World Championship with a freak mechanical incident that erased her chances of winning. Moseley’s main goal for 2008 is reaching the top step of the podium at World Championships.

Kris Sneddon will continue as the do-it-all racer for the team. Sneddon is ready and willing to race wherever the Factory Team takes him whether it be the World Cup, Canada Cup or the three-day La Ruta race. Sneddon is a consistent top-10 performer at the US National Mountain Bike Series and has his goals set to join his taller teammates (Wicks and Trebon) on the podium.

Coming off the finest all-around season of her career, Wendy Simms’ 2007 season was capped by a victory in the mixed category of the multi-staged Trans Rockies race with her husband Normon Thibault. She also had impressive NMBS races and a string of top-20 European World Cup Cross Country finishes. Simms looks to continue to participate in a variety of events throughout the season that include the Trans Rockies, World Cups and NMBS events.

Veteran rider Ryan Trebon will use the 2008 mountain bike season as a means to increase his fitness for the year – keeping an eye on the 2008-09 cyclo-cross season. Trebon is the current US National Short Track Champion and will be on hand to defend his jersey. Trebon also will compete in some events not traditionally on the calendar like the Firecracker 50 Marathon
National Championships and a few Mountain States Cup races, as well as a handful NMBS events. The gears have shifted slowly for Trebon, who is now focusing more on cyclo-cross racing.

This year, prolific rider and singletrack-slayer Barry Wicks will pedal some rubber at select World Cups to test his skills with the world’s best cross-country racers. Last year was Wicks’ most consistent mountain bike racing season of his career. For his efforts, he was voted most improved US mountain biker of the year by the Velo News. Wicks stepped back from cyclo-cross this season and turned down a trip to the cyclo-cross World Championships to allow the chance to better prepare for
the 2008 mountain bike season. New for Wicks this year will be the multi-stage endurance event dubbed the BC Bike Race.

www