Top women's cyclist Deanna Thomson lent further proof to the age old adage "practice makes perfect" by capturing Bermuda's sole Gold medal at this year's Caribbean Cycling Championships that concluded yesterday in St.Vincent.

Thomson conquered hot and humid conditions on a course that played to her strengths on the way victory in the women's time trial.

She also came to within inches of taking top honours in the women's road race where she finished second behind the eventual winner from the British Virgin Islands.

"St.Vincent is very hot and humid and the course was very technical in the descents with lots of climbs which were to my advantage because I'm a good climber," a victorious Thomson told The Royal Gazette last night.

"My time trial went extremely well; winning my first Gold medal in the Caribbean Cycling Championships."

Victory just barely eluded the top rider in the women's road race where she ended up taking the bronze.

"I felt like the stronger rider today but couldn't get rid of the girl from the British Virgin Islands, leaving it to the sprint which I lost by inches," Thomson added.

Prior to her departure to the Caribbean for this year's championships, Thomson had expressed an eagerness to surpass her previous best performance (second) at the regional event.

And to demonstrate that she was perhaps peaking at the right time, the Island Games silver and bronze medallist and current national time trial recently set a new record (24 minutes, 47 seconds) for the 10.2 mile Shelly Bay Time Trial, bettering the previous mark (25:39) by some 52 seconds, which she also held.

"My real goal is to come home with a Gold medal," she said on the eve of this year's Caribbean Cycling Championships.

"I won a silver and bronze before and so I would like to come home with a gold medal this time."

Thomson's decision to place more emphasis on cycling rather than triathlons in the leadup to the annual cycling spectacle has now paid dividends - and finally ended a long quest for a Gold medal in the Caribbean.

"Normally when I am cycling I also do triathlons but I have done nothing but cycling with my husband (Garth) for the past two and a half months, which has really pushed me.

"He is very strong and so training with him has definitely made me faster," she said.

Thomson's Gold medal has now taken Bermuda's overall Caribbean Cycling Championships Gold medal haul to 11 out of a total of 32, more than twice the number of any other country in the region.

Meanwhile, also capturing medals at the eighth annual Caribbean Cycling Championships were Thomson's husband Garth who won the bronze in the men's time trial, and former pro cyclists Tyler Butterfield who overcame a bout with cramp to take the bronze in the men's road race.

"I expected to be on the podium and raced as well as I could on a challenging time trial course not suited to my strengths," Garth said.

The soon-to-be wed Butterfield also seemed generally satisfied with the day's harvest.

"It was hard and aggressive right from the start and Guadeloupe was there to defend their title from last year," he said.

"The heat and humidity took its toll and it worked out well enough for Bermuda to get the bronze medal."

Bermuda's team, comprised of Garth and Deanna Thomson, Geri Mewett and Butterfield, are due to arrive home today.

Accompanying the Island's representatives in the Caribbean were Bermuda Bicycle Association (BBA) president Peter Dunne and manager Aaron Place.