This article originally appeared on Triathlete

You know what they say: it’s not the bike, it’s the rider. And in the case of last weekend’s 70.3 World Championships, there were some pretty stellar riders. The hilly St. George course was flattened by the likes of Taylor Knibb and Magnus Ditlev, who turned in the fastest bike spilts in the women’s and men’s pro races, respectively. And though we’re pretty sure they could have accomplished great things in Snow Canyon on a single-speed beach cruiser (we’d actually be curious enough to watch this – off-season challenge, anyone?), we’ve got to give credit to the tech. That’s why we’ve rounded up the fastest bikes from 70.3 Worlds and their riders who expertly utilized them in the race.

The Fastest Bikes in St. George: Pro Women

RACE RECAP: Taylor Knibb Powers to Victory at 2022 Ironman 70.3 World Championships

#1 Bike Split (2:14:41) Taylor Knibb (USA), 1st overall

Trek Speed Concept

Knibb took her time in T1, completely toweling off and putting on crew socks and sleeves to stay warm amid the 40-degree morning conditions. From there, she hopped on her metallic red Trek Speed Concept took the lead early on the bike and never relinquished it. The newly designed bike for 2022 features a drag-reducing Kammtail Virtual Foil tube shapes made from ultra-light 800 Series OCLV Carbon.

#2 Bike Split (2:21:53) Lucy Charles-Barclay (UK), 4th overall

Cube Aerium C:68 X prototype

A few interesting notes on Charles-Barlcay's prototype Cube: She has a custom-painted CeramicSpeed OSPW Aero pulley wheel casing with a "Racing girl is back" tagline, a custom pink Wahoo Element Bolt, and a puppy decal on the top tube.

RELATED: Kona Pro Bike Photos: Lucy Charles-Barclay’s Prototype Cube Aerium C:68X

#3 Bike Split (2:21:29) Flora Duffy (Bermuda), 5th overall

Specialized S-Works Shiv Disc

Between injuries, COVID-19 and the Olympics, Duffy had never raced the 70.3 world championships. And after an airline lost her bike enroute to 70.3 Mont-Tremblant in June, Duffy needed a wild card entry to get into the St. George race. But she made the most of it with a strong effort on her Specialized rig that led to a fifth-place showing in the final standings. It has a SRAM RED eTap AXS group-set and Zipp 858 NSW Carbon Tubeless Disc wheels.

#4 Bike Split (2:20:49) Paula Findlay (Canada), 2nd overall

Specialized S-Works Shiv Disc

Findlay says her bike split was hot because she put on a long sleeve layer and insulated gloves to keep the cold weather at bay. The components on Findlay’s competition bike include a SRAM RED eTap AXS groupset with an 11-33 cassette, a SRAM RED 1 AXS chainring, Vuka Shift AXS 90 carbon bars and Zipp 858 NSW carbon wheels.

#5 Bike Split (2:24:31) Holly Lawrence (UK), 6th overall

Trek Speed Concept

Lawrence was one of the athletes who didn't put on extra layers, and although she was out of T1 quicker than most, she paid the price. She says she was so cold on the bike that she became delirious and made tactical errors as a result. Her Speed Concept features a top of the line lightweight 500 Series OCLV Carbon frame with drag-reducing Kammtail Virtual Foil (KVF) tube shaping, a full SRAM Red eTap AXS groupset, fully integrated handlebar extension and stem, Bontrager Hilo Pro triathlon-specific saddle for an aggressive aero position and aerodynamic Bontrager XXX Aeolus 6 wheels.

The Fastest Bikes in St. George: Pro Men

RACE RECAP: In a Rollercoaster 70.3 World Championship, Kristian Blummenfelt Holds on for the Win

#1 Bike Split (1:59:59) Magnus Ditlev (Denmark), 3rd overall

Scott Plasma RC Ultimate

Ditlev stands 6-foot-4, so naturally he's on a big bike -- a 58 XL frame to be exact -- with a Syncros Belcarra TT saddle tilted at a fairly aggressive pitch. His Scott setup features a 60-tooth DIgirit carbon chainring, a Shimano Ultegra 11-speed derailleur, 11-30 cassette full-carbon HED Vanquish wheel set. The CeramicSpeed OSPW Aero pulley wheel casing features the red and white Danish flag on one side and his name inscribed on the other.

#2 Bike Split (2:01:03) Kristian Blummenfelt (Norway), 1st overall

Cadex Tri

A few interesting notes on Blummenfelt's Cadex: He used a custom-painted frame with gold initials, 25mm tires at 80psi, and has a small note on the top of his top tube that reads: "It hurts more to lose."

RELATED: Kona Pro Bike Photos: Kristian Blummenfelt’s Cadex Tri

#3 Bike Split (2:00:41) Frederic Funk (Germany), 5th overall

Cube Aerium C:68 X

Funk's semi-custom steed has a visually striking twin head tube co-designed by Formula One specialists SwissSide. It has a Sram Red eTap AXS groupset with a 12-speed derailleur, Carbon 50x37T 172.5mm crankset and XG-1290 10-26T cassette. If you look closely, you'll see mountains sublimated and seatpost and his name etched in the top tube.

#4 Bike Split (2:01:47) Ben Kanute (USA), 2nd overall

Trek Speed Concept

Trek redesigned the Speed Concept for 2022 with key refinements being the IsoSpeed pivot at the top of the seat tube, integrated drink and bento box systems and disc brakes. Kanute's ride had a Hilo Pro TT saddle, SRAM RED eTap AXS groupset with a 54-41 crankset and 10-33 cassette.

#5 Bike Split (2:03:16) Miki Taagholt (Denmark), 6th overall

Storck Aero 3

Taagholt was riding a semi-custom Storck Aero 3, which is known for its stiff frame, short chainstays and integrated water/food storage systems. Decked out in the Pewag Racing Team green and black color motif, it has a Sram Red e-Tap AXS 2×12 derailleur, Sram Red AXS Aero 50 1×12 crankset and 12x 10-33 cassette.

RELATED: The Fastest Pro Running Shoes at the 2022 Ironman 70.3 World Championships

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