A trio of the island’s promising young riders are expected to challenge for victory in tonight’s Butterfield Bermuda Grand Prix St George’s time-trial/hill climb.

Matthew Oliveira, Kaden Hopkins and Chequan Richardson will be among the contenders for stage one of the grand prix, which starts at 6pm with the first riders and followed by competitors every 30 seconds.

Oliveira should be brimming with confidence after lapping the entire field — including David McComas, who won last year’s grand prix — en route to winning last weekend’s Team Tokio criterium in Hamilton.

Kaden Hopkins, who is also just 16, had a storming performance in the opening road race of the season, finishing second behind Dominique Mayho, the island’s top cyclist, who is racing overseas for amateur team Jonge Rakkers Vollezele in Belgium.

Richardson, slightly older at 22, has also been in good form this year, using his unusual 6ft 5in frame to power to victory in the Winners Edge National Mountain Bike Championships at Southlands last month.

“It could be really competitive because these guys are going to be very strong,” Peter Dunne, the Bermuda Bicycle Association president, said.

“Chequan is likely to be very wise in how he races and he should have a good push in the hill climb.

“I’d be very surprised if Kaden isn’t in the very top group after tomorrow night’s efforts, while Mark Hatherely is usually strong as well.”

With cumulative time over the three stages — time-trial/hill climb, Southside road race and Hamilton criterium — deciding the overall winner, Dunne said race tactics could prove decisive.

“There’s going to a lot of tactics going on and I think that will start tomorrow with the hill climb,” Dunne added.

“Sometimes you get someone who has worked so hard on Saturday that they’re exhausted on Sunday and don’t have anything left. A lot of guys start the criterium with their legs feeling like cement bags.”

In the women’s race, Zoenique Williams, competing in her first race of the season after recovering from health issues, is expected to be favourite to defend her title.

Among the riders also vying for honours are teenager Alyssa Rowse, triathlete Karen Smith and Ashley Estwanik, the five-times Appleby Bermuda Half-Marathon Derby winner, who is making her debut in the competition.

“I’m not sure where Zoenique’s fitness will be, but she’s a very competitive person,” said Dunne, who is delighted with the number of entrants for the grand prix, which is believed to be more than 100.

“If she’s in the bunch coming into the finish for a sprint, she’s the strongest and most capable rider.

“Ashley is obviously a very strong athlete. Put her in any endurance sport and she’s going to be a contender.

“She’s getting better as a cyclist although she hasn’t done this type of cycling and it will be her first criterium. “It will be interesting to see how that goes. Then you have Alyssa who has been riding really well and is very impressive for a 16-year-old.”

Tomorrow, the competitors will be at Southside, St David’s, for a 7.45am start to the road race. The Male A riders will perform five laps of the course (54km) while the Male B and women will do four laps of the course (51.2km), although the women will race a 8.8km-lap course, as will the male 13-16 juniors.

Racing switches to Hamilton on Sunday for the criterium, which begins at 9am with the junior races, 9.25am for the 13-16 juniors and female races and 10.05am and 10.55am for the Male B and Male A races. Male A will race for 60 minutes plus one lap, Male B 40 minutes plus one lap and the women and junior males 13-16 30 minutes plus one lap. The 13-16 females will race for 20 minutes plus one lap.