COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho - A two-time Ironman champ added another notch to his belt and a new pro scored her first elite win June 22 at Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene in the tree-lined northern Idaho resort town. Veteran Canadian triathlete Tom Evans bested his 2007 runner-up showing with a rock-solid 8:34:22 performance that buried second-place finisher Victor Zyemstev by just under 10 minutes. Another Canadian, former star age grouper Heather Wurtele (nee Danforth) won the race she last triumphed at in 2006 - but this time against the big guns, using a killer bike split to crush the seasoned female pros in 9:38:58.

Despite skepticism circling about town the week leading up to the race regarding Lake Coeur d'Alene's unseasonably icy temps, athletes were greeted with cool yet much-improved 59-degree waters early Sunday morning. And although the sixth annual event attracted smaller pro fields than in past years, serious action ensued right from the starting gun, as Kiwi Bryan Rhodes and Evans stroked through the 2.4-mile swim elbow to elbow to finish in 51:24 and 51:29, respectively. Defending race champ Zyemstev climbed ashore 30 seconds later to head onto the second leg in third place.

As swim-leader Rhodesy faded on the picturesque two-loop bike tour east and west of the city, two-time Ironman champ and perennial Coeur d'Alene top placer Evans worked his magic on two wheels, busting out a day's-best 4:45:37 bike split despite the course's jackknife turns and sometimes fierce headwinds.

"The wind didn't bother me," said Evans. "The harder the bike, the better."

The 2007 second-place finisher took that same swagger onto the run course, where he held tough enough to stave off solid charges from Zyemstev and crowd favorite Michael Lovato of Boulder, Colorado. As an exuberant Evans strode solo through the finishing stretch, Lovato mustered up enough strength to pass Zyemstev for a while but then encountered some troubles that sent him back to the third position. Evans crossed the line over eight minutes ahead of his foes in 8:34:22 for the top spot, while Zyemstev charged in 4:26 ahead of Lovato in 8:43:56. A late-surging Mike Neill of Canada edged ex-mountain bike pro Steve Larsen of Bend, Oregon, for fourth place in 8:53:09.

Even though Lovato looked spent after enduring the long-distance slog, the strapping 34-year-old shouted his praise for the northern Idaho event: "This is the best Ironman race in the whole world!" he boomed over the loudspeaker to the cheering crowds surrounding the finishing chute.

But perhaps the most elated of all athletes was Wurtele, who nabbed her first elite win on the same day her husband took second at a half-iron-distance race in Canada. The the 6-foot-2-inch former volleyball star earned her keep in the pro ranks beginning with the swim, as she finished just shy of three minutes up on five-time Ironman champ Heather Gollnick of Florida.

"At first, I was like, 'Oh cool, I finished the swim first," said an elated Wurtele at the finish. But her success didn't end at T1. Wurtele continued building her lead with a dominating 5:16:23 bike split that put her at least 10 minutes up on Gollnick by the second transition. Many wondered if the still strong-looking Canadian could keep up the intensity on the run, especially with an experienced Gollnick and fleet-footed Desiree Ficker not at all ready to concede. Sure enough, although Ficker and Gollnick both turned on the jets and were able to gain some ground on the frontrunner, Wurtele invited no one to her party. The 2006 Coeur d'Alene 25-29 winner broke the tape looking almost as strong as she'd started the day in a smoking 9:38:58.

"I'm a new pro so I really transcended myself today," Wurtele said. "This wasn't necessarily something I was expecting, but I just felt really strong all day. Other women here have such fabulous resumes, so I just tried to not let that intimidate me and hope it worked out. It did."

Gollnick ran in 11:36 later for second, which didn't warrant her signature finish-line cartwheel but pleased the diminutive athlete nonetheless. Ficker began struggling on the second half of the run and wound up pulling from contention, leaving a late-charging Tiina Boman of Finland to muscle her way past Canadian Sara Gross for third place.

Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Sunday, June 22, 2008
2.4mi S/112mi B/26.2mi R

Men's Results
1. Tom Evans (CAN) 8:34:22
2. Victor Zywmstev (USA) 8:43:56
3. Michael Lovato (USA) 8:48:22
4. Mike Neill (CAN) 8:53:09
5. Steve Larsen (USA) 8:56:53

Women's Results
1. Heather Wurtele (CAN) 9:38:58
2. Heather Gollnick (USA) 9:50:34
3. Tiina Boman (FIN) 9:55:28
4. Sara Gross (CAN) 10:03:45
5. Haley Cooper (USA) 10:08:04