Davis Phinney, Cincinnati Business Leaders Launch Foundation For Parkinson's Disease Research and Wellness

CINCINNATI, OH April 15, 2004 -- The Davis Phinney Foundation is dedicated to supporting research aimed at understanding, preventing, and treating Parkinson's disease. The Foundation also seeks to find ways to improve the lives of individuals challenged by the disease. The Foundation will focus its efforts on raising funds that will be distributed as grants to laboratory and clinical research programs that are investigating the causes of Parkinson's disease and new, potentially curative therapies for Parkinson's patients.

Davis Phinney, 44, is credited as the winningest cyclist in U.S. history with over 300 National and International victories. In 2000, after exhaustive medical testing, Davis was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease. He was 40 years old. In 1986, Davis was the first American ever to win a road stage in the Tour de France. In addition, Davis's cycling career highlights include an Olympic Bronze Medal (1984), Pan-Am Games Gold Medal (1983), four National Championship titles, including the coveted US PRO title in 1991. After retiring from racing in 1993, Davis continued using his expertise and outgoing personality as a television commentator for NBC, CBS, ABC, ESPN, and OLN.

More than one million Americans, cyclist Phinney among them, live with Parkinson's disease, a degenerative neurological disorder involving the death of dopamine-producing nerve cells deep within the brain. Five percent of patients are 40 years old or younger when they show initial symptoms of the disease. There is no cure for Parkinson's at this time, and scientists do not yet know how to slow or halt the progression of this disease of motion, which gradually robs patients of their ability to move and speak.

Davis, married to 1984 Olympic Road Cycling Champion Connie Carpenter and the father of two children (Taylor age 13, Kelsey age 10), now focuses on his family, his health and the family business, Carpenter / Phinney Bike Camps. Founded in 1986 as instructional camps, the excursions have evolved to cycling vacations designed for recreational enthusiasts, in both Italy and Colorado. Davis and Connie are also the authors of Training for Cycling: The Ultimate Guide to Improved Performance .

The Davis Phinney Foundation will be hosting a major fundraising event, The Sunflower Revolution, which will take place July 30 and 31, 2004, in Cincinnati, with a benefit dinner and auction to be held Friday evening, and a 62-mile Foundation benefit bike ride to be held Saturday morning. Davis, who lives in Northern Italy, will fly to Cincinnati for the event. Proceeds from The Sunflower Revolution will go to the Parkinson's Center at The Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and University Hospital.

Through the Davis Phinney Foundation, Davis is assuming the role of Parkinson's advocate for the first time. He was inspired by longtime friend, legendary cycling framebuilder Ben Serotta to join forces with Oakley Cycles, a 21-year-old Cincinnati company that sells fine, made-to-measure bicycles.

Davis Phinney will be available for interviews the week of April 12th. He may be contacted by email: connie@bikecamp.com or by telephone. Please contact David Ariosa or Kathleen Krumme at the Foundation 513-731-9111.

Kathleen Krumme
The Davis Phinney Foundation
3010 Madison Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45209
Telephone: 513 731 9111
Website: http://www.davisphinneyfoundation.com
Email: kkrumme@davisphinneyfoundation.com



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