Triathlete.com» Craig Alexander

From The Inside Triathlon Archives: Getting To The Core

Aaron Hersh — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:30:17 +0000

A look inside three-time Ironman world champion Craig Alexander’s now famous heat experiments.

This story was originally published in the November/December, 2010, edition of Inside Triathlon magazine, before Alexander placed fourth at the 2010 Ironman world championships. It has been edited for web publication.

Despite Craig “Crowie” Alexander’s second-place finish at the 2007 Ironman World Championship and his back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009, by his own estimation, he has never been the athlete that the Kona field has specifically gunned for. Perhaps this is because of his unintimidating 5-foot-9-inch frame, his relatively recent emergence to the top of the triathlon heap, or his reluctance to make bold predictions in the media. Whatever the reason, his competitors have never designed their race strategies around him, and some believe this has enabled Alexander’s considerable success at Kona year after year.

But this year is different. Alexander’s back-to-back Kona wins have put a bull’s-eye squarely on him, and as a result he’s more vulnerable than ever. This year, his competitors will attempt to exploit his one perceived weakness: the bike. In fact, strong cyclists such as Chris “Macca” McCormack have made several public pleas to other athletes to attack on the bike—all with the hopes of coming into T2 far enough ahead of Alexander to make his lethal run a nonfactor.

To combat this attack, Alexander has turned to a race preparation strategy made famous by Lance Armstrong: meticulous planning. By fanatically studying Tour de France routes, lactate levels, wind tunnel data and any number of other pieces of information, the seven-time Tour winner proved that an endurance athlete can gain a significant advantage over equally talented competition by measuring the details that the others leave to chance. In this same vein, Alexander is studying how his body reacts to the conditions he will face on the Big Island, which has a reputation for wilting even the world’s fittest athletes with its combination of humidity, wind, sun and heat radiating off congealed lava.

PHOTOS: Exclusive Look At Craig Alexander’s Kona Camp

Alexander, Cave Lead Kona Pro Rankings

Liz Hichens — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:31:15 +0000

Photo: Nils Nilsen

Thanks to multiple strong performances at the end of the 2011 racing calendar, Australia’s Craig Alexander and Great Britain’s Leanda Cave lead the Kona Pro Rankings heading into 2012 racing.

The Kona Pro Rankings for qualification for the 2012 Ironman World Championship includes races taking place from Sept. 1, 2011 to now. Learn more about the Kona Pro Rankings.

Alexander holds a strong lead at the top thanks to his Ironman World Championship 70.3 and Ironman World Championship victories. Behind him, Germany’s Timo Bracht holds the second spot with points earned at both the Ironman World Championship (where he finished fifth) and Ironman Western Australia (where he won). Rounding out the top three for the men is Kona runner-up Pete Jacobs.

On the women’s side, Cave’s stellar late-season performances, including a third place at the Ironman World Championships and a win at Ironman Arizona, have her easily sitting atop the women’s leaderboard with 8,550 points. In second is Great Britiain’s Chrissie Wellington, thanks to her Ironman World Championship win. Mirinda Carfrae’s (AUS) second-place finish in Kona is enough to give her the third spot.

Reigning Ironman 70.3 World Champions Craig Alexander and Melissa Rollison sit in the first positions on the 70.3 rankings.

January 2012 KPR

Women
1. Leanda Cave (GBR) 8550
2. Chrissie Wellington (GBR) 6000
3. Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) 5400
4. Karin Thuerig (SUI) 5300
5. Rachel Joyce (GBR) 4890
6. Sonja Tajsich (GER) 4860
7. Caroline Steffen (SUI) 4660
8. Melissa Rollison (AUS) 4500
9. Linsey Corbin (USA) 4160
10. Heather Wurtele (CAN) 3700

Men
1. Craig Alexander (AUS) 9000
2. Timo Bracht (GER) 6000
3. Pete Jacobs (AUS) 5400
4. Andreas Raelert (GER) 4900
5. Dirk Bockel (LUX) 4450
6. Raynard Tissink (RSA) 3900
7. Mike Aigroz (CZE) 3800
8. Andi Boecherer (GER) 3650
9. Luke McKenzie (AUS) 3460
10. Michael Lovato (USA) 2900

Complete KPR rankings.

January 2012 70.3 PR

Women
1. Melissa Rollison (AUS) 4500
2. Michelle Wu (AUS) 2850
3. Emma Kate Lidbury (GBR) 2535
4. Karin Thuerig (SUI) 2000
5. Samantha Warriner (NZL) 1745
6. Leanda Cave (GBR) 1650
7. Jessica Meyers (USA) 1600
8. Lisa Marangon (AUS) 1600
9. Heather Jackson (USA) 1590
10. Joanna Lawn (NZL) 1585

Men
1. Craig Alexander (AUS) 3000
2. Michael Raelert (GER) 2660
3. Tim Reed (AUS) 2445
4. Chris Lieto (USA) 2000
5. Paul Matthews (AUS) 1900
6. Paul Ambrose (AUS) 1655
7. Richie Cunningham (AUS) 1500
8. Jeff Symonds (CAN) 1500
9. Viktor Zyemtsev (UKR) 1250
10. Bart Aernouts (BEL) 1250

Complete 70.3 PR rankings.

2011 Top-10 Triathletes Of The Year: The Men

Liz Hichens — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:15:14 +0000

Triathlete.com honors the men who dazzled, dismayed— and destroyed their competition in 2011. Read through the list below and then head over to today’s Triathlete.com Poll to tell us who you think had the best 2011 season.

1. Craig Alexander

Alexander has long been established as a venerable force over the 70.3 and Ironman distances. But the 38-year-old’s wins seemed even sweeter—and more impressive—in 2011. Maybe it was how he became the first man to win both the Ironman and the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in the same year. Or how he overcame fatigue and cramps for his third victory in Kona—while still setting the course record. Or maybe it was how he managed a win in Vegas despite a flat on the bike. Whatever it is, the Aussie’s banner year further cemented his position among the greatest triathletes of all time.

Crowie In Kona: A Record-Breaking Year

Triathlete.com — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:37:35 +0000

Less than 24 hours after winning the Ironman World Championship, Craig Alexander sat down with Triathlete’s Jené Shaw to talk about the record-breaking race. In this clip we ask Crowie: Do you always watch your competitors racing? What goes through your mind?

Check out the complete post-race series.

RELATED: Training Day With Craig Alexander

Crowie In Kona: Lessons From 2010

Triathlete.com — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:35:02 +0000

Check out the complete post-race series.

RELATED: Training Day With Craig Alexander

Crowie In Kona: The Training Plan

Triathlete.com — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:29:28 +0000

Less than 24 hours after winning the Ironman World Championship, Craig Alexander sat down with Triathlete’s Jené Shaw to talk about the record-breaking race. In this clip we ask Crowie: Based on how last year went, what specific changes did you make to your training plan for this year?

Check out the complete post-race series.

RELATED: Training Day With Craig Alexander

Crowie In Kona: The 2011 Racing Schedule

Triathlete.com — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:27:48 +0000

Less than 24 hours after winning the Ironman World Championship, Craig Alexander sat down with Triathlete’s Jené Shaw to talk about the record-breaking race. In this clip we ask Crowie: Because of your illness you had to cut back your racing schedule this year. Do you think doing fewer races works better for you?

Check out the complete post-race series.

RELATED: Training Day With Craig Alexander

Crowie In Kona: The First Time On The Shiv

Triathlete.com — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:25:59 +0000

Less than 24 hours after winning the Ironman World Championship, Craig Alexander sat down with Triathlete’s Jené Shaw to talk about the record-breaking race. In this clip we ask Crowie: How long had you actually ridden the Shiv before the race?

Check out the complete post-race series.

RELATED: Training Day With Craig Alexander

Crowie In Kona: Lessons From 2010 Race

Triathlete.com — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:20:24 +0000

Less than 24 hours after winning the Ironman World Championship, Craig Alexander sat down with Triathlete’s Jené Shaw to talk about the record-breaking race. In this clip we ask Crowie: What did you learn from the 2010 Ironman World Championship race?

Check out the complete post-race series.

RELATED: Training Day With Craig Alexander

Best Of 2011: Crowie Takes Two World Titles

Triathlete.com — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:40:09 +0000

Australia's Craig Alexander became the first athlete to take the Ironman and 70.3 world titles in the same year.

Photos: Training Day With Craig Alexander – The Ride

Super Administrator — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:12:38 +0000

Watch part two of the "Training Day with Craig Alexander" series and then check out these photos from the day.

Alexander Rides To Ironman Greatness

Aaron Hersh — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 04:56:45 +0000

Labeled as a runner, Alexander sets fastest bike split of the top 15 and then runs to the Ironman Hawaii all-time record.

Just like every year, the bike leg of the 2011 Ironman World Championship started with a large pack of men ripping down the Queen K. But unlike past years, Craig Alexander was the one pulling the rest of the field in his wake instead of lingering toward the back.

His competitors have publicly attacked his ability as a cyclist since he first raced Ironman Hawaii in 2007 and Crowie has finally put those doubts to rest by fracturing the bike pack then eviscerating the survivors on the run. By attacking on the bike and sustaining his lethal run split, Alexander cemented himself as not just a champion but a legend in the sport.

A massive pack containing more than 20 men stuck together through the first forty miles of the ride. The Island’s infamous winds were docile and had almost no impact on the race to that point. The racers lifted the tempo on the course’s biggest climb to the turn-around in Hawi and descent back toward town to break the field apart themselves since the weather wasn’t doing it for them. In past years, Craig Alexander always opted to let the most aggressive cyclists ride away at this decisive moment because he had the confidence that they would whither during the marathon and he would run them down. Once again a group of elite cyclists separated from the rest of the contenders in this version of the race, but Craig Alexander was the one doing the damage this year.

The field had been whittled down to seven men after the climb out of Kawaihae. Many of the usual suspects made the break, including a few of the athletes that orchestrated last year’s race winning break that relegated Alexander to 4^th, but this year it was Alexander separating from his adversaries.

The heat and wind kicked up slightly and forced more athletes, including Andreas Raelert out of the lead pack, but Alexander was left standing. By the time he rolled back into town, the guy labeled as a pure runner had dropped many of the sport’s strongest cyclists and in the process completed the first step in removing the derogatory label of “pure runner” that Alexander has carried his entire Ironman career. Punctuating his ride with another race-winning marathon was the second and final step.

Crowie has maintained in the past that riding a controlled effort allowed him to execute the metronomic run splits that have won two Ironman world championships, but his bike split this year was anything but controlled. While executing the ride that left Andreas Raelert twisting in his wake, Crowie was grimacing and squirming. He was very clearly at his limit by the 105^th mile. The cost of Crowie’s 4:24 bike split was all over his face. Many athletes have tried to reinvent themselves by racing to their weakness on the Big Island before and it typically ends in disaster. Although Alexander arrived in T2 much earlier than anyone expected, he still hadn’t proven himself as a great triathlon cyclist. He had to cap his day with yet another fast marathon and a 3^rd Ironman world title to do so.

Straight out of transition, Andreas Raelert was rapidly closing the gap to Alexander. Just as in 2009, Raelert exploded out of the gate while Alexander set a steady pace. Like that year, Raelert wilted on the blurringly hot pavement of the Queen K as Alexander stuck to his plan. Questions about Crowie’s ability to run off a fast ride were starting to fade.

By the time Alexander, Raelert and Pete Jacobs had each entered the Energy Lab, a crowd of onlookers were eagerly awaiting to see the effects of this notoriously difficult stretch of the marathon. Among the onlookers was last year’s Ironman world champ Chris McCormack. He had no doubt about the outcome. When asked who he thought would win, Macca stated, “Oh, Crowie for sure.” The trip down the Queen K back to the finish line might have felt like a coronation, but Alexander was fighting cramps.

Pro triathlete Dan Hugo witnessed Alexander stop and bend at the waist to loosen his weakening hamstrings and stated that he’s, “never seen Crowie look so fragile.”

Alexander forced his legs to cooperate and he crossed the finish line in 8:03:56, besting Luc Van Lierde’s 15-year old course record.

Although it’s easy to say Alexander won race on the bike, that analysis fails to appreciate the enormity of his accomplishment. Only Chris Lieto, Marino Vanhoenacker and Luke McKenzie matched or exceeded Alexander’s pace on the bike. Lieto finished 69^th, Vanhoenacker dropped out and McKenzie took 9^th. Alexander won his third IM world championship by combining the fastest bike split by any athlete in the top 15 finishers with a 2:44 marathon. The doubt about Alexander’s ability to ride fast and follow it with a stellar marathon has now been put to rest.

Alexander’s evolution as an athlete is even more surprising because of his age. At 38, he is the oldest male winner in the history of the race. What allowed an athlete that has always lost time on the bike to ride so well this year?

Alexander made a highly publicized bike switch in the middle of this year. The Specialized Shiv Alexander rode to his third Ironman world championship is the third bike he has raced this summer. His frame has changed, and so has his hydration equipment and helmet selection. After losing last year’s race on the bike leg, Alexander worked closely with Mat Steinmetz to refine his position and hydration accessories. After wind tunnel testing many setups, they ended up using a single horizontal bottle between Alexander’s forearms and a second bottle cage zip tied under his saddle in addition to the integrated bladder hidden in his frame. The hydration accessories he selected last year were substantially bulkier. Crowie also finally switched from a vented road helmet to an aerohelmet. Although Alexander’s bike setup was drastically different than last year, the equipment changes alone don’t account for the difference between last year’s ride and this year’s.

Alexander simply rode his bike like it is a weapon rather than a weakness. Whether Alexander was fueled with anger over the disrespect paid to his cycling abilities, a need to validate his radical changes or any other source of motivation, Alexander vaulted himself into triathlon’s pantheon by riding with aggression and backing it up with a typically fantastic run.

Written by Aaron Hersh. Follow him @triathletetech.

Crowie Breaks 15-Year-Old Course Record, Wellington Regains Title At Ironman World Championship

Liz Hichens — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 01:53:04 +0000

Two past champions regained their titles as the top Ironman athletes in the world as Australia’s Craig Alexander and Great Britain’s Chrissie Wellington took the wins at today’s Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The sight of Alexander and Wellington on top of the podium is a familiar one, as they have collected seven of the last ten titles between them over the past five years. Alexander’s win was highlighted by a course-record finish time of 8:03:56. For Wellington, the victory came despite a bike accident she suffered two weeks ago in Boulder, Colo.

Men’s Race

Alexander is the first person to win 70.3 and Ironman world titles in the same year. Photo: Kurt Hoy

American Andy Potts defended his position as the top swimmer at the Hawaii Ironman by exiting Kailua Bay in 49:44, about a minute slower than his pack-leading time last year. Behind Potts a large second group including most of the primary contenders exited the water together. The chase pack included 25 athletes and the likes of American Chris Lieto, Australian Craig Alexander and German Andreas Raelert.

Potts’ two-minute lead was short lived as the large chase group of athletes swallowed him up. Uber cyclist Lieto took charge earlier than he has in past years and grabbed the lead by the 20-mile mark. The move was not a permanent one though; Lieto relinquished his lead and rejoined the main group. With Lieto back in the pack, a handful of athletes, including Germany’s Faris Al-Sultan and Australia’s Luke McKenzie, took turns at the front. The race was far from decided at the turn around point in Hawi, with the favorites populating the group. Eventually Lieto powered his way back to the front, forcing the pace and carrying a lead of five minutes over McKenzie, Marino Vanhoenacker and Craig Alexander. Alexander turned in an impressive showing on the bike, earning a bike split of 4:24:05.

Lieto managed to hold the front position for the first few miles, but with the swiftest runners in the sport not far behind in he had little hope. Alexander took the lead just past the six-mile mark. Germany’s Andreas Raelert looked to be gaining ground as he turned onto the Queen K, but his stride eventually slowed. Alexander showed no sign of weakness throughout the entire day, racing his way to a 51:56 swim, 4:24:05 bike and a 2:44:02 marathon to earn the win and a course record time of 8:03:56, snapping Luc Van Lierde’s 1996 record of 8:04:08. Alexander also becomes the first person to win both the Ironman World Championship 70.3 and the Ironman World Championship in the same year. Australia’s Pete Jacobs ran the fastest marathon of the day at 2:42:29 to earn the second spot in 8:09:11. Germany’s Andreas Raelert earned his third podium spot in as many years, finishing third at 8:11:07.

Women’s Race

Wellington earned her fourth world title. Photo: Kurt Hoy

The women’s race started with the United States’ Amanda Stevens and Great Britain’s Julie Dibens making the main pack of the men’s race, giving them a large advantage over the rest of the women’s field. The biggest story early on in the women’s race was the less-than-stellar swim performance of Great Britain’s Chrissie Wellington, a three-time Kona champion. She exited the water in 17th position at 1:01:03, more than six minutes slower than her swim time when last she won here in 2009.

With the strongest cyclist out of the water in a top position there was little hope for the rest of the competition on the bike leg. Dibens quickly overtook Stevens and broke away, establishing a gap of nearly six minutes over last year’s runner-up Caroline Steffen of Switzerland at the 42-mile mark. At that point the two fastest runners, and former world champions Mirinda Carfrae and Chrissie Wellington, were at least 10 minutes back. Dibens continued to build on her lead, entering T2 with a gap of about 11 minutes over Steffen. Dibens has been up front about a foot problem that has plagued her since her win at June’s Ironman Coeur d’Alene. That foot injury did turn out to be problematic and she was forced to walk while still leading the race. Steffen eventually took over first position, but her lead didn’t last long. Great Britain’s Chrissie Wellington ran her way from sixth off of the bike to first position by mile 16 of the marathon. Wellington went on to earn the victory in 8:55:08, just over one minute shy of her 2009 course record time of 8:54:02. Defending champion Carfrae once again ran her way through the field, earning second in 8:57:57. She also broke the run course record for the third year in a row, going 2:52:09 in this year’s marathon. Great Britain’s Leanda Cave earned her top placement ever, finishing third in 9:03:29.

Ford Ironman World Championship
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – Oct. 8, 2011
2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run

Men
1. Craig Alexander (AUS) 8:03:56
2. Pete Jacobs (AUS) 8:09:11
3. Andreas Raelert (GER) 8:11:07
4. Dirk Bockel (LUX) 8:12:58
5. Timo Bracht (GER) 8:20:12

Women
1. Chrissie Wellington (GBR) 8:55:08
2. Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) 8:57:57
3. Leanda Cave (GBR) 9:03:29
4. Rachel Joyce (GBR) 9:06:57
5. Caroline Steffen (SUI) 9:07:32

Click here for complete results.

Video: Craig Alexander’s Specialized Shiv

Triathlete.com — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:48:56 +0000

A look at Craig Alexander’s Kona race bike, a 2012 Specialized Shiv.

PHOTOS: Crowie’s Specialized Shiv

TYR Signs Craig Alexander

Triathlete.com — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:08:38 +0000

Two-time Ironman world champion Craig Alexander has another new sponsor for the 2011 Ironman World Championship in TYR. Alexander also announced earlier this week that he would be riding a Specialized bike.

See the complete press release below:

Crowie will have two new sponsors for the Ironman World Championship. Photo: Nick Salazar

TYR Sport Inc. is excited to announce a sponsorship agreement with four-time Ironman World Champion Craig Alexander. Alexander won consecutive Ironman World Championship titles in 2008 and 2009, and most recently won the 2011 Ironman 70.3 World Championship. Alexander previously won the 70.3 World Title in 2006.

PHOTOS: Training Day With Craig Alexander

“It’s a great honor for me to partner with a company that has created so much innovation in our sport. The new Hurricane Freak of Nature wetsuit is a perfect example of TYR’s commitment to triathlon. I am very happy to be associated with such a quality family-run company,” said Alexander upon signing with TYR.

Named to Inside Triathlon magazine’s “10 Greatest Male Iron-Distance Athletes of All Time”, Alexander will race for his fifth world title at the 2011 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii later this week.

“TYR is very happy to have formed a long-term relationship with Craig, a phenomenal athlete of exceptional character,” stated Ryan Dolan, Vice President of Sales for TYR Sport, Inc. “Craig is revered and respected by the entire sporting community, and his down-to-earth demeanor makes him an ideal role model and spokesperson for the sport of triathlon.”

Alexander also owns three Australian Long Course Championship victories and more than two-dozen Ironman 70.3 titles. For more information on TYR’s athletes, and the products they race and train in, please visit TYR.com.

Video: Crowie’s Aero Helmet Decision

Triathlete.com — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:38:34 +0000

For the first time two-time Ironman world champion Craig Alexander will wear an aero helmet at the Ironman world championship. Find out why.

Click here to learn about Alexander’s new bike.

Craig Alexander’s New Specialized Shiv

Aaron Hersh — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:05:26 +0000

Alexander has overhauled his bike setup and his camp shared specific wind tunnel findings that work best for him.

Click here to view photos of the bike.

Craig Alexander’s much publicized bike situation is finally over. He’s riding a Specialized Shiv. Details about the bike can be found here, and the four-time world champion has made this specific Shiv his own by spec’ing it to his preferences. He has made some dramatic changes from last year when he was unable to bridge to the eventually-winning break that contained Macca and Andreas Raelert.

The hydration accessories mounted to Crowie’s frame are one of the most dramatic changes from 2010 to 2011. Last year, he had an aero drink bottle between his aerobar extensions, one round bottle on the downtube and a two-bottle behind-the-saddle hydration system. Those are all gone. Alexander will now rely on the Fuelselage bladder system integrated into the Shiv, a single horizontal bottle cage between his aerobar extensions mounted to an XLab Torpedo and a single XLab Gorilla cage tucked right under his saddle. He has a Salt Stick electrolyte tablet dispenser stick mounted to the inside of his right aerobar extension. He is still experimenting with the Fuelselage to find his preferred configuration for the hose and refilling technique.

PHOTOS: Craig Alexander’s Specialized Shiv

His fit has also changed slightly. Crowie’s performance consultant Mat Steinmetz moved his saddle forward almost a centimeter and switched him to shorter crank arms, 167.5mm in length from 172.5mm. Steinmetz recommended these changes to allow Alexander to ride with an additional 7mm of saddle to aerobar drop while still slightly opening his hip angle because of the changes to his saddle position and crank arm length. Steinmetz also pulled his elbows slightly narrower.

Although Crowie has worn an aerohelmet for other races in the past, he has always opted for a vented road helmet in Kona. Alexander derived confidence from the perceived cooling benefits and he didn’t see a reason to change until last year when he lost the race during the bike. This year, he is riding an unbranded Giro Advantage 2 aerohelmet with a stunning custom paint job done by Road ID, the helmet that tested fastest on Alexander in the wind tunnel. The helmet highlights his four world championship victories, the names of his wife and children, his two hometowns and the flag of his native Australia. Against common belief, while they were testing performance in the wind tunnel, Alexander was actually slightly faster with the tail end of his helmet detached from his back and when looking straight down at his power meter data. Steinmetz says Alexander is the first athlete he has witness with the tail of his helmet off his back.

He is still riding Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 components, carbon body Dura-Ace pedals and a PRO Missile EVO aerobar with slightly upturned aerobar extensions. The wires controlling the derailleurs route into the frame behind the stem and down through the frame before popping out at the front and rear derailleurs. He is using a SRM power meter that is built into a Shimano Dura-Ace crank turning on Enduro ceramic bearings. He will mount his Garmin head unit to the integrated stem that is part of his Missile EVO aerobar. He is still riding a Fizik Arione Tri 2 saddle.

All that remains to be seen is whether Alexander will stand atop the Kona podium for the third time after making these changes to his bike.

Written by Aaron Hersh. Photos by Aaron Hersh. Follow him @triathletetech.

Crowie Officially Splits From Orbea

Jené Shaw — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 22:28:56 +0000

With less than a week until the Ironman World Championship, Craig “Crowie” Alexander has officially (and somewhat unsurprisingly) announced his split with Orbea on Facebook today:

Crowie won the Ironman World Championship 70.3 triathlon on what appeared to be a Cervelo P4. Photo: Nils Nilsen

“I want to announce the end to my 7 year relationship with Orbea. After much thought and discussion, we have mutually agreed to part ways on an amicable basis in order to pursue other opportunities.

I have no hesitation in saying that our partnership has been an extremely successful one. Since the beginning of 2005, together we have won 3 World titles, 2 World Championship Silver medals, nearly 30 half Ironman races, as well as Olympic Distance classics, such as Life Time Fitness, Minnesota and Chicago.

Neri and I would personally like to thank Orbea for their support over the past 7 years and wish them well into the future.”

Rumors about what bike Alexander will ride in Kona have been circulating since he won the recent Ironman World Championship 70.3 on an unlabeled bike that looked to be a Cervelo P4. Stay tuned for an update on what Crowie will be riding this Saturday!

Training Day With Craig Alexander Part Five: The Race

Steve Godwin — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 15:50:45 +0000

How is Craig Alexander preparing for this year’s Ironman World Championship? In this five-part “Training Day” series we’re bringing you up close and personal with the two-time champ as he gears up for the year’s biggest race. Watch the first four parts of the series and then check out part five below. In the final installment Crowie recaps his performance at the 70.3 world championships and host Bob Babbitt looks at Alexander’s place in triathlon history as he approaches the 2011 Ironman World Championship.

Photos: Training Day With Craig Alexander – The Run

Super Administrator — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:49:26 +0000

Watch part three of the “Training Day with Craig Alexander” series and then check out these photos from the day.