the World Junior Championships in San Sebastian, Spain on Tuesday.

Hedges, 17, was 67th in the 17-18 age group out of 70 top riders from 25 countries over a gruelling course which national team coach Greg Hopkins likened to Knapton Hill.

Hedges, the lone rider from Bermuda -- most of the countries had up to four competitors -- managed to finish six places behind the English champion. Over the 28 kilometre course, he averaged 24.7 miles an hour.

"I was quite pleased considering the competition level is so overwhelming,'' said Hedges by telephone from Spain last night.

Tomorrow over the same course, the 121 km road race will take place. Hedges will be in a field of about 120 riders.

"It's a real technical course and my goal is to stay in with the main pack all the way to the finish,'' said Hedges, who took a break from school in Boston to participate in his first World Championships.

Hopkins said that Hedges' time trial bike was damaged when it arrived in Spain and that when repairs could not be made, they had to convert his road-racing bike to use in the time trial.

"Obviously the most important event is going to be the road race but as he was here we decided to do the time trial and he did well,'' said Hopkins.

"It's a tough course, extremely hilly compared to what he would normally be used to. In the last three miles there is a very steep hill that even the senior riders are having problems with.'' Considering the nature of the course, Hedges average speed of 24.7 mph "was certainly on par with any of his performances on flat courses in Bermuda,'' said Hopkins.

This is the first time the junior championships have been held at the same time as the seniors (under 23s, women and elite men), which means races are held every day.

A rider from the Ukraine, who is one of the favourites for the elite time trial today, is a team-mate of Elliot Hubbard's and had a poster of him pinned up in his hotel room.

"Over here we have the absolute the best riders in the world,'' said Hopkins.

"He (Kris) is really up against it, but this is the first time he's been to a world championship and up to know it's been a very good experience. He's represented Bermuda very, very well as far as I'm concerned.''