Craig "Crowie" Alexander Wins Kona

Thirteen minutes and 14 seconds. That is the gigantic difference by which Craig “Crowie” Alexander improved his bike split over previous years at the Ironman World Championships, which he won for the third time Saturday with a new course record of 8:03:56.

Crowie rode the new Specialized Shiv, a bike designed from the ground up exclusively for triathlon. As befits a three-discipline sport, the Shiv features three advantages over other bikes: unmatched aerodynamics, an integrated hydration solution and extensive options to ensure the perfect fit.

For Crowie, the math was simple. Aero + fuel + fit = 13 minutes.

“That bike is a rocket ship,” Crowie said of the Shiv. “A total rocket ship.”

At the 2011 Ford Ironman World Championships, Crowie emerged from the water with the lead group. Over the 112-mile course along the coast, Crowie crushed it on his Shiv.

Crowie came in fourth off the bike, with a time of 4:24:05. In years past, his best bike times were 4:37:19 and 4:37:33.

Crowie left the transition in third, behind Chris Lieto and Luke McKenzie. Still fresh from his time on the bike, Crowie blew through the two leaders on the run and never looked back.

He secured his third Kona title with a time of 8:03:56, smashing a course record that had stood since 1996.

“Crowie is one of the most consistent athletes here,” said Mark Cote, Specialized’s Road Product Manager and Aerodynamicist from MIT. “His bike times have always been between 4:37 and 4:39. So to have a 13-minute improvement because of the changes we made… it makes me believe in science.”