An horrific fall suffered by Bermuda's top cyclist yesterday has cast a cloud over his involvement in next month's CD&P Grand Prix.

Elliot Hubbard, a fourth year pro with New Jersey-based team Navigators, was training at Traveller's Rest, Greenville, South Carolina when he was thrown from his cycle as he negotiated a hill. The fall broke his collarbone and also damaged his wrist and he could be out of action for at least four weeks.

Speaking from the USA, Hubbard said: "I was coming down a descent on a climb I normally do my hillwork on. I had a slow leak in my front wheel which I wasn't aware of.

"I didn't really realise it until I was into a corner at fairly high speed and didn't really have enough pressure in the front to maintain control and so I went down.'' Recovering at home, Hubbard said as soon as he regained his bearings he realised the extent of his injuries.

"I broke my collarbone and sprained my wrist and I've got a couple of bruised ribs,'' he said. "I definitely felt the collarbone go and I stuck my arm out to break my fall and so have taken some impact to my hand and my wrist.'' Hubbard was on his own at the time of the accident and was thankful to a passing motorist.

"Somebody following behind was kind enough to stop and run me to the hospital,'' he said.

Hubbard said doctors there had told him he needed plenty of rest. "On average these things take four to five weeks. It's hard to tell with athletes because sometimes we bounce back faster than normal people, but it will be a few weeks at least of very little movement just to try and let it set again,'' he said.

Hubbard said he felt OK in himself so long as he remained stationary -- not an easy thing for an active sportsman.

"I'm fine so long as I don't move around too much,'' he said. "I'm taking anti-inflammatories and pain killers. I'll just have to be disclipined enough to sit still for a few days.'' Hubbard said he was reluctant to rule himself out of a trip back to the Island for the end of September race, but he was also realistic.

"I really don't know at this point. I can only take one day at a time as far as the healing goes. The Grand Prix is about four weeks down the road so it would be cutting it pretty close,'' he said.

"I'm reluctant to rule it out because that's always a race I look forward to but I'll just have to take it as it comes.'' Hubbard said such accidents were an occupational hazard and he would not be making any quick decisions with regards to his future.

"These kind of things happen all the time in cycling. I just have to make it through the healing process before I make any rash decisions,'' he said.

Elliot Hubbard: a doubtful starter for next month's Grand Prix after his accident yesterday.