Teamwork will be the key to success for the riders of the Torengo-McKenzie Cycling team, according to manager Rene Wenzel.

By Wenzel's own admission the Oregon-based team does not have star names among its ranks, but what they lack in that category they make up for in togetherness.

"Our aspirations are to win and we are going to try and do that the best way we can," said Wenzel. "It is a new team and it is a young team in terms of experience but it's a team with a lot of excitement and with some good teamwork I think we can do it.

"We don't have any super top stars so we are certainly going to place emphasis on strong teamwork. That is really our game plan."

Wenzel said of all the events in the Grand Prix one stood out for his team.

"I think the road race (represents the team's strongest discipline) because it is a little longer and there is a little more time to plan strategies," he said. "The time trial is a toss up. If you have the equipment and you are good at time trials then that is that. The criterium is maybe a little too short to do much damage so I think the road race is where it's at."

Competition will be fierce among the women and Wenzel singled out the Snow Valley team and Bermuda's own Melanie Claude as threats.

But he said he was confident his girls could be in the shake-up at the end.

"It's actually this team's first major competition together and therefore it is hard to say where we are going to be at against the other top competitors," he said. "But all in all I think we can do really well."

Amy Jarvis of the Bacardi team has competed in Bermuda before two years ago.

"I'm not sure where I came but I believe I was tenth overall," she said. "Hopefully, I am a lot stronger this year and the team can do well."

Teammate Chloe Black said although this was the end of the season for many racers she expected riders to give it their all this week.

"I think once the race is on the race is on," she said. "Even if you are happy to be in a warm climate and on a nice Island you kind of get blindness when you are racing.

"The great part about it is that when you are not racing you get to enjoy Bermuda and when we are racing we will be racing hard."