CAC Games cycling officials gave Bermuda's competitors a torrid time as they prepared to take part in Sunday's 48.8 kilometre time trial, it emerged yesterday.

Their antics enraged youngster Kris Hedges and led to the eventual retirement of team-mate MacInnis Looby with less than half the event completed.

Coach Paulo Medeiros was forced to step in as Kris Hedges' frustration threatened to boil over amid claims of problems with the length of the bars on their bikes.

"Kris got very angry with the guy. I had to step in so that he didn't lose his focus on the race,'' said Medeiros. "I was speaking in Portuguese, Spanish, English -- anything to make myself understood. Eventually he said: `Okay, leave it, just go ahead'.

"You come to these places and they don't notify you on the handlebar regulations and suddenly they start to measure the bikes.

"One of the arguments over Kris's bike involved an eighth of an inch.'' Looby suffered because his bars were supposedly too far forward. International Cycling Union (ICU) rules say they must be a certain distance from the front of the wheel.

"He had to have them shortened and that threw him out of position. He couldn't get comfortable,'' added Medeiros. "He pulled out after about 20 kilometres complaining that he couldn't get stretched out. He was very disappointed, but it's just one of those things.'' Last night Bermuda Bicycle Association president Greg Hopkins said he wasn't too surprised to hear of the time trial problems.

"The ICU are very strict in their rules. This isn't an unusual occurrence at major events,'' he said.

"There are specific regulations about the handle bars and how far they are over the front wheel. Believe it or not, an eighth of an inch can make a big difference.

"But I think the language problem, the breakdown in communication compounded the problems in Venezuela.'' Not that Bermuda's problems ended there.

"We couldn't get cars to follow our riders. There weren't enough to go round,'' said Medeiros. "It's very disorganised and there have been problems for the cycling people right from the start.'' On the bright side, however, was Hedges' performance. He was 11th fastest in a very strong field of 30, his time of 1:09.28 giving him an average speed of 42.14kph. However, he would have had to average 44kph plus to qualify for next month's Commonwealth Games in Malaysia.

With each competitor setting off a minute behind the one in front, Hedges, 14th in the order, even had the temerity to post the fastest time on reaching the halfway stage. That changed as the event progressed, however, with the later starting Cubans, Colombians and Mexicans "tearing the whole course apart'', to use Medeiros' words.

"His time means he was doing an average of over 42kph over the course. For the distance that is a very good pace,'' said the coach.

"But you have to remember the Cubans and Mexicans are top class riders on this part of the planet.'' Hopkins confirmed last night that Hedges' time had fallen short of the Commonwealth Games qualifying standard.

However, Looby and Hedges, along with Mike Lee and Jason Krupp, will get another chance to make the standard next Sunday when they ride in the 180K road race, needing to finish in the top 25 percent to qualify.

"But in this kind of competition, that's going to be very tough,'' warned Hopkins.

DEFLATED -- A disappointed MacInnis Looby pulled out of Sunday's CAC Games time trial less than half way through the event after officials had ordered him to readjust his handle bars to conform with international regulations.

Kris Hedges CYCLING CYC