Canada's Simon Whitfield, left, breaks the finish-line tape to win Saturday's Elite Cup triathlon Saturday in Iowa. Canada's Simon Whitfield, left, breaks the finish-line tape to win Saturday's Elite Cup triathlon Saturday in Iowa. (Delly Carr/Associated Press)

Victoria's Simon Whitfield outran five other competitors in a sprint to the finish to win the US$200,000 first prize Saturday at an Elite Cup Triathlon in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Whitfield, the silver medallist at the Beijing Olympics, leaned at the tape to edge Australian Brad Kahlefeldt, who's ranked second in the world.

"First thing I'm doing is buying this amazing toy house for my daughter Pippa," Whitfield said after claiming the largest single-race prize of his 14-year career. "She's been running around the front yard at home and really inspired me."

In the women's race, Vancouver's Lauren Groves finished third.

Whitfield completed the 1.5-kilometre swim, 40-kilometre bike ride and 10-kilometre run under sweltering heat in a combined time of one hour 49 minutes 43 seconds.

His win came after he failed to finish last weekend's World Championship Series race in Washington.

"I really didn't feel good this week or at all last week after what happened in Washington so I didn't want to over think things and just keep my head down," said Whitfield. "Coach Phil [Bertrand] gave me a good swim tip and I attached myself to that after a bad swim last week. I also had a good conversation with my wife, who told me I had the experience to do this."

Kahlefeldt, Beijing gold medallist Jan Frodeno of Germany and New Zealand's Kris Gemmell all tumbled to the ground behind Whitfield.

Frodeno won the gold medal in Beijing, sprinting past Whitfield just before the finish line.

"That was some payback for last year, in a sport sense," Whitfield said. "I wanted to get one over Jan after last year's Olympic Games. I always want to win the races the other guys want to win."

In addition to Saturday's victory, the 34-year-old Whitfield also has an Olympic gold and silver medal, 11 World Cup victories and one Commonwealth Games title to go along with 20 podium finishes in his career.

Victoria's Brent McMahon finished seventh.

Australian training partners Emma Moffatt and Emma Snowsill finished 1-2 in the women's race. Moffatt, ranked No. 1 in the world, ran away from the field during the 10-kilometre run to beat Snowsill, the defending champion, by 93 seconds. She finished in 1:59.46.

Moffatt also won $200,000, the richest first-place prize on the world triathlon circuit.