- Simms, Trebon And Tonkin Find First-Place Podium In British Columbia And Oregon , While Sneddon Finishes Fifth -

KONAWORLD (June 16, 2008) - The backs of their stylish Kona Factory Team jerseys are all most competitors saw of elite racers Wendy Simms, Ryan Trebon and Erik Tonkin, as the threesome claimed three wins at races in British Columbia and Oregon last weekend. 

Racing in Squamish, B.C. at the North Shore Credit Union Test of Metal on Saturday, Simms smoked the 12-rider women’s  elite class mountain bike field registering a time of 2 hours, 56 minutes. Simms’ feat set a new course record, eclipsing the old mark of 3:10 set by Alison Sydor in 2005. More than 900 riders (another event record) competed on the technical 40-mile course which featured 2,000 vertical-feet of climbing on singletrack, gravel and paved roads through the Garibaldi Highlands. Fellow Kona Factory Team rider Kris Sneddon finished fifth in the 33-racer men’s elite class putting up a time of 2:43.

Adding two more first-place crowns to the weekend’s collection, Trebon and Tonkin each won races in Oregon . For Trebon, who was coming off a XC win at the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado  two weeks ago, trading in his mountain bike for a road cycle was a smooth transition. Trebon won the Oregon State Championships road race in Rainier, Oregon , besting 38 riders for the impressive title.  Tonkin , who battled cramps for the last hour of his ride, took first by a slim one-minute margin in the Test of Endurance 50 mountain bike race posting a time of 3:48. The course featured a burly 7,500 feet of climbing.

For more information on Kona’s teams check www.konaworld.com.