Daniela Ryf is the reigning Queen of Kona. A four-time consecutive winner of triathlon’s most prestigious race, the Swiss superstar has enjoyed yet another dominant racing season this year as she’s built towards winning a historic fifth Kona world championship. Why would her fifth win be historic? A few athletes have won more titles, sure, but no woman has ever won five in a row—only the great Mark Allen has ever scored five Kona titles in a row.
Last year’s Kona was one for the ages, and one that will forever hold a special place in the pantheon of epic race days. While treading water a few minutes before the start of the swim in Kailua Bay, Daniela Ryf was stung by a jellyfish. Despite the pain of the venom coursing through her veins, Ryf put in a valiant swim, yet emerged from the water far later than race pundits would have expected. She mounted her brand-new Felt IA Disc, a race bike making its worldwide debut at this very event, and proceeded to chase down every single competitor in front of her en route to a new bike course record. Ryf finished the day with a stellar run, crossing the finish line with a new overall course record, as well. It was Ryf’s fourth consecutive win, each of them coming aboard the Felt IA platform.
So how could Daniela Ryf possibly top last year’s superlative performance? She’s back in 2019 to make history by winning a fifth straight Kona title, something that no woman (and only one other athlete) has ever accomplished. This is the bike on which she aims to do it, the same model that has brought her so much success in the past.
Play Sports Group, publisher of Global Triathlon Network (GTN), has announced its selection of Felt Bicycles as the media organization’s new official bike partner for its GTN channel. As part of its new partnership with the Southern California-based bicycle manufacturer, GTN will feature Felt bikes in future content.
After a few miles on the bike course along the legendary Queen K highway, everything seemed to be going according to plan for four-time and reigning Kona World Champion Daniela Ryf. But by race's end, Ryf would finish well off her usual pace. But it's not always results that define what the Kona triathlon experience truly is.
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