Published October 10, 2010 12:15PM
Chris McCormack has won an ITU world championship and an Ironman world championship but he has said that last year’s race in Kona was one of his proudest moments as a triathlete. He struggled on the run, but rallied from an episode of vomiting to claim a fourth-place result. This year, he will try to ride his Specialized Shiv to reclaim the Kona crown.
Macca’s Shiv is built with SRAM Red components and standard-style 900TT shifters rather than SRAM’s R2C shifters. McCormack’s mechanic says that Chris has a laid-back attitude about his bike and doesn’t concern himself with the details on his bike.
His is riding Zipp 808 Firecrest tubulars. These brand-new race wheels got the special treatment and are covered with a custom set of red and white stickers, to match his frame, with “Chris Macca McCormack” emblazoned on them.
Macca will sit on a Specialized Roman saddle. His version has “Test Saddle” written across the back. He rides on Speedplay Zero pedals with a titanium spindle. He has a single bottle holder on his frame and another between his arms. His mechanic may add another behind the saddle before the race.
Macca doesn’t ride with a power meter and, in fact, doesn’t even have a standard cycling computer on his bike. He will be riding totally on feel if he tries to break out of the pack and come into T2 with a lead.
Managing the heat has always been one of McCormack’s biggest struggles in Kona and how he handles the conditions will likely determine if Macca is in contention for the win or if he struggles to the finish.
Photos and written content by Aaron Hersh.