teams, at least one will be pulling for another team in tonight's Conyers, Dill and Pearman Classic.

Dayna Henry, who expects to join the Snow Valley (Maryland) team near the end of the current season and then again next season, will be watching his future team-mates from the sidelines when the four-day Bermuda Grand Prix begins.

"I feel real good about going over there. I met them here last year at the Grand Prix (and) I'm trying to make this the last team I ride for. My goal is the (2000) Olympics and these guys feel they can help me get too that point.'' Henry is recovering from a recent bike accident that left him with ligament damage, a pinched nerve and broken big toe and says he will start off as a Category III rider with Snow Valley when he returns to action.

The accident has already cost him any chance of joining Hubbard in the Commonwealth Games in September.

The Maryland-based amateur team has four members of their six-rider elite team here for the Grand Prix: John Hamblen, 22, Torrey Marks, 24, Andy Rhodes, 21, and Jonathan Wirsing who, turns 28 on Friday and is the senior rider on the team.

"We are one of the top ten amateur teams in the United States,'' said Wirsing. "We hope to mix it up with the pros a little bit on the individual stages.'' Wirsing is one of the top sprinters on the team along with Marks, who was here last year with One Plus Inc. Sponsorship made it possible for the team to return again this year.

"We're not necessarily looking for first overall, but if that happens, great,'' said Wirsing.

"We've gotten a lot of top ten finishes in some top pro races back home in the States and probably have half a dozen wins so far this year. The competition this year is definitely the best they've had for the Grand Prix.'' Saturn, who along with Navigators and Shaklee, are rated as one of the top five professional teams in the United States, are also a team to watch out for this weekend.

The average age of their four-man team of Frank McCormack, Mike McCarthy, Chris Wherry and Bart Bowen is 28. "Time will tell (but) we have every intention to try to win,'' said McCarthy of his team's chances.

"This is the stepping stone into the real crunch time of our season. We leave from here and go to the Tour of Japan (on May 13) and that's our final preparation for the Core States Week (a series of four one-day races in America that define the entire racing season).'' "So while it's paradise here, for us to come and race is still very important.'' McCarthy and McCormack are noted criterium riders -- McCormack having won the Pro criterium Nationals twice in the US -- while Wherry and Bowen are top American stage race riders.

This 55-minute, plus one lap, race starts at 6.45 p.m. on Front Street.

DAYNA HENRY -- One of the Island's top cyclists will join Snow Valley, a leading US amateur team, later this year. Snow Valley are competing in the Bermuda Grand Prix beginning tonight.