The sun just won't set on Tyler Butterfield's outstanding summer!

Exactly a month after he served notice at the Athens Olympics that he is an emerging force in the triathlon world, the effervescent Bermudian shocked a pro-filled pack to wrest the elite men's title in the CD&P Bermuda Grand Prix yesterday.

Outwitting and outriding Dutch, French, American and Canadians who make a living on their bikes, the 21-year-old amateur became the first local to win the prestigious general classification (GC) crown.

“It's a big surprise. I just came out for some hard racing and to have fun. I don't think it's really hit me yet.

“It's an honour to be in front of your home crowd in the leader's jersey. There was so much support out there and I have to thank all the people who came out,” declared the toast of Bermuda, sporting the trademark yellow vest which symbolises cycling supremacy.

Butterfield's assault on overall top honours crystallised when he won Saturday's 90 kilometres Southside Road Race - the third stage of the four-tiered Grand Prix - to don the leader's telltale jersey with one event remaining.

Given his 30-second advantage over Frenchman Jean Luc Campagnola heading into yesterday's Dockyard Criterium, the crescendo of the series, it would have taken a miracle or immense mishap to topple him - and neither occurred.

Working with his Winners Edge team-mates - Bermudian Geri Mewett and Jonathan Erdelyi of the USA - Butterfield steered clear of any trouble during the hour-long circuit and was usually among the frontrunners in each lap. He led at the bell but, knowing he only needed to finish to claim the top prize, he let the sprinters fight it out for the Dockyard prestige and contented himself with 21st out of 41 riders in the final event.

Asked if he thought he stood any chance of beating a field of professionals, he replied: “Not at all. I just came here to have some fun. I had some pretty good training leading into Athens.

“That was a pretty hard bike course so I was training hard and I guess it paid off here.

“I'm a bit shy in the pack but I had no pressure so it was easy to go out and race hard and I like it like that.”

Butterfield noted that the pros' cat-and-mouse games of attacking each other played into his hands on Saturday because he was not involved in those energy-sapping bursts and was therefore able to follow Campagnola's break from the main pack with two laps to go.

“There were 11 laps in the race and after four (laps) the field split and I was in the back half and my team-mate Jon was in the front pack so I just sat in and didn't do any work. It was like a Sunday fun ride because when your team-mate is in the front there is no point to chase. Jon is a good sprinter so I was leaving it up to him to try and win.

“But then the two bunches came back together and I hadn't done any work all day. So when Jean Luc went off the front I thought ‘Aw, I had a big dinner and a big breakfast I might as well burn some calories' and I shot off with him.

“I didn't think we would get away but once we got a bit of a gap, I figured I was used to time-trialling - because that's what I'm doing in most triathlons since I'm at the back in the swim and have to play catch-up - so I did the same thing except on the front this time,” explained Butterfield who pocketed $300 for the overall title and $200 for Saturday's victory.

He and Campagnola took turns leading but on the final lap, the latter - who had expended a lot of energy earlier reeling in the pack after a flat tyre - began to fade and Butterfield blazed to unanticipated glory.

“It just unfolded that I got to ride away the last half lap. It just fell into my hands,” he recalled, saluting Mewett and Erdelyi for their part in his success.

Bermuda Bicycle Association president Dannielle Bezant hailed Butterfield's triumph as “fantastic” and “wonderful”, noting “it's the first time in years he has ridden a stage race”.

Mewett also lavished praise on his team-mate and underlined the team's determination that Butterfield should not be thwarted.

“It's a great finish to the weekend for us. Tyler had an excellent race. He did all the work himself on Saturday and today we knew what to do - come out here and control the race and make sure the guys who were close to him in the GC were taken care of. Everything worked out in the end,” said the 30-year-old.

Meanwhile, though not excelling personally, Bermudian pro Kris Hedges enjoyed team success as VC Pontivy beat his former club, Snow Valley, for the team title.

“We raced hard and we found the criteriums pretty hard because we were the only team trying to chase down the breaks. No-one else was assisting and there's a limit to how much we were going to do.

“Today we were just sitting in there and it worked to our advantage,” said Hedges.

Meanwhile, Harm Jensen finished as he began, winning the Dockyard Criterium to accompany his victory in the opening night's criterium in Hamilton. He placed third overall behind Butterfield and Campagnola.