First there was the Around the Island Powerboat Race held, ironically, last weekend.

Then there was the Around the Island Seagull Race.

Now the Bermuda Bicycle Association are organising a 100-kilometre road race around the Island this Sunday morning to mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of their association.

The race will become an annual event on the BBA calendar, with Bermuda’s top cyclists expected to compete for the new trophy called the Presidents Cup which will recognise the contributions of the 12 presidents who have led the BBA since its formation in 1974.

“I had given so much thought about the 40th anniversary and had a conversation with Leopold Kuchler, the first president, and it really made me think we needed to do something other than a gala dinner,” said Peter Dunne, the present BBA president.

“The participants have been dying for a course of this nature which takes in one bog loop as opposed to tiny circles and the hope is we can do this every year.”

The race will be escorted by the police and will start at 7.30am, taking the riders east along Harbour Road on their way to St George’s and then St David’s before coming back along South Shore Road to Dockyard and then back to the finish on Harbour Road, just west of Chapel Road.

“We had a great relationship with the Police this year where every event we’ve had we filed a plan with them,” said Dunne, who said that there would be a minimum of interruption for other road users.

“The May 24 race has a special place in spectators’ minds but I think people wanted to do more and the idea of racing around the whole of Bermuda makes it more exciting,” Dunne said.

“When riders are going up Scaur Hill or somewhere, we’re hoping the residents will look out at a particular time and that encouraged the riders that much more. People were very keen when we had the race meeting the other night and the teams that are represented have indicated they will have a very strong turnout.”

Added Dunne: “It looks like we will get to about 50 riders. Riding 60 miles is tough enough and racing 60 miles is really difficult. It is going to take almost three hours to complete. We tried to devise a course that is flowing. The lead group will probably be going on average about 21 miles per hour and realistically we will not be holding people up too long.”

The winning trophy will be presented at a post-race breakfast at the home of Dunne and it is anticipated that most of the former presidents will be in attendance. Past presidents are Leopold Kuchler, Delano Ingham, David Sabir, Joey Richardson, Carlos DeSilva, Vance Stevens, Jeff Payne, Greg Hopkins, Martin Bolton, Dannielle Bezant and Francois Bertrand.

In addition to the race, a social group ride of lesser distance will start with the main competitors and follow the same route under police escort until Black Watch Pass when the race will officially commence and separate from the group ride.

The race will finish at approximately 10.25. The public is encouraged to come out and watch this new event on the cycling calendar that will see the top cyclists in action, including recent Commonwealth Games competitors Dominique Mayho and Nicole Mitchell, as well as those hoping to represent Bermuda at the upcoming Caribbean Cycling Championships.

Approximate location passing times: Foot of the Lane (7.40), Black Watch Pass (7.50), Flatts (8.00), Swizzle Inn (8.10), York Street, St George’s (8.20), Texas Road, St David’s (8.35), Airport Roundabout (8.80), Paynter’s Road/South Road (8.56), Trimingham Hill Roundabout (9.10), Barnes Corner (9.30), Dockyard (9.55), Heron Bay Plaza (10.15), Harbour Road finish (10.25).