Courtesy: USAT

Barb Lindquist (Victor, Idaho) and Great Britain's Simon Lessing triumphed over a chilly lake and a hilly course to win the elite titles at the Bakers Breakfast Cookies ITU International Triathlon in Bellingham, Wash., on Sunday.

The race was the third stop on the USA Triathlon Race to Athens elite triathlon series, an International Triathlon Union international points race and was the second qualifier for the U.S. team for the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Lindquist, who is ranked No. 1 in the world, completed the 1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run in 2 hours, 5 minutes, 57 seconds. Sheila Taormina (Livonia, Mich.) was second in 2:07:50 and Becky Gibbs Lavelle (Cupertino, Calif.) was third in 2:10:32.

In the men's race, Lessing finished in 1:54:37. New Zealand's Matt Reed was second in 1:55:07 and Hunter Kemper (Longwood, Fla.) was third in 1:56:22.

Local favorite Mark Fretta of Portland, Ore., finished sixth in 1:57:57 and Joe Umphenour of Bellevue, Wash., finished 13th in 1:59:57.

Before the race, competitors were worried about the swim in the chilly waters of Lake Whatcom and Bellingham's "Alabama Hill," a long, steep hill they had to cycle over six times.

However, the water temperature of 61 degrees did not seem to slow down the athletes, as both Lindquist and Lessing finished the swim in less than 20 minutes. And while the hill did help to break up the cycling packs, the winners found a way to triumph.

"All the fans were out there (on the hill) cheering," Lindquist said. "It felt like we were at the Tour de France."

"Once you've been up there once, you fall into a rhythm," Lessing said. "You know what to expect next time."

Lindquist exited the swim in first and worked with Taormina on the bike. She pulled away early in the run.

Lessing left the swim among a large pack of men, but found his way into the lead pack on the bike along with countryman Chris Moffatt and Reed. Reed took the lead leaving the second transition. Lessing waited until an uphill on the first lap of the run to pass him.

"We're both tall guys with long strides, so I knew it wouldn't happen going downhill," Lessing said.

Although Lindquist qualified for the U.S. Pan Am team with her victory, she is already committed to competing in the ITU World Cup race in New York on Aug. 10, the same day as the Pan Am triathlon.

Taormina had already qualified for the Pan Am team at the Clermont ITU International Triathlon on May 4, so the slot rolled down to Lavelle.

The third U.S. women's Pan Am spot goes to Julie Swail (Irvine, Calif.), who is in her first year as an elite triathlete. Swail finished sixth in Clermont and ninth in Bellingham.

Swail is not new to international competition. She won a silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in water polo and won the amateur triathlon and aquathlon titles at the 2002 ITU World Triathlon Championships in Cancun, Mexico.

On the men's side, Doug Friman (Tucson, Ariz.), who qualified for the Pan Am team in Clermont, will be joined by Kemper, the 1999 Pan Am silver medalist, and Victor Plata (San Luis Obispo, Calif.). Plata finished eighth in both Clermont and Bellingham to earn the spot.

In the age group race, which was done on a different course from the elites, David Thompson (St. Paul, Minn.) won the overall men's title in 1:56:54 and Linda Gallo (Santa Clara, Calif.) won the overall women's title in 2:07:54.

For complete results, go to www.racetoathens.org/races/seattle.htm.

The next event in the Race to Athens series is the Pacific Coast Triathlon on July 19 in Newport Beach, Calif.