Karen Brems normally spends her time on the radio barking instructions to her Webcor team.

But the 43-year-old was more than happy to be on the receiving end of orders last night as she came out of her semi-retired state to claim a second straight Hamilton Criterium on a frenzied night of riding on the CD&P Grand Prix opening night.

Brems, who found last night?s victory more comfortable than last year?s, waited until the final lap to make her move, coming home in by two clear lengths and raising her arms aloft with joy with relief.

The veteran was happy to let her younger team-mates do the mad chasing for the primes ? and Amber Rais picked up one of two $500 cheques available for the lap sprints ? concentrating on the overall glory, even though it was $200 less.

?I was in this for the overall prize,? said Brems, who positioned herself towards the front of the lead group without ever feeling the need to stretch it out.

?I made that decision before we went out but it was great to see Amber get the $500. We split them up anyway and the team deserve their rewards because they all worked so hard for each other out there.?

When asked why she chose to swap management for the hard grind of multiple climbs of Burnaby Hill she exclaimed: ?Because it?s Bermuda and I love it here.

?The course is almost perfect for me. It is very similar to a Criterium in my hometown in California so it suits me fine. It was a bit different this year because they weren?t any pure sprinters this time so it was a different sort of race.

?But I just made sure I stayed in there and didn?t do anything silly and just hung in until I had to make my move.?

The first 20 minutes of cycling saw no major breakaways as the lead changed hands at regular intervals and with even the big primes being won by only short distances.

Sarah Tillotson of the Quark team positioned herself best winning two of the money laps and taking top whack of $650 on the night with wins of $300 and $350.

The pack was somewhat separated with seven laps to go when Ford/Basis? Chrissy Ruider opened up a three-second gap at the front with a charge up the gruelling Burnaby Hill and away.

But the peleton, led by Olympian Lyne Bessett ? who was teamed up with local riders Lynn Patchett and Ashley Robinson ? led the bridging group to pull back the lone Ruider which was achieved with four more circuits of the 1.09km circuit still to go.

Last year?s overall winner Lauren Franges took the $500 penultimate lap ? together with the $100 opening prime ? and looked well placed coming into the final mad dash for glory.

But it was Brems who came through in style to clinch leg one of the four-race event that continues tonight with gruelling time trials at Gibbs Hill Lighthouse.

Another to have a great start to the weekend of top-class racing was local girl Patchett, attempting to secure a place in next year?s Commonwealth Games.

She needs to finish in the top 25 percent either in the road race tomorrow or in the overall standings and she did her confidence no harm at all last night, finishing well up the field.

Patchett, who admitted racing with team-mate Bessett ?puts you on a high because she has done so much but is still so humble?, was at the centre of the front pack throughout her 35 minutes on the course and looked remarkably comfortable among the visiting pros.

?I felt really good out there,? said Patchett, whose team-mate Robinson was among the many tail-enders pulled from the event before the closing stages.

?This isn?t really my event, I am not much of a sprinter so I was happy to finish as high up as I did.

?I felt pretty comfortable staying up there with the other girls and because I have a pretty good endurance base I still feel I have plenty left for the next three days.?

When asked if she ever contemplated making a move either in a prime chase or to go for final lap glory, she smiled and acknowledged her position as an amateur among pros.

?I know better than not to underestimate these girls,? she added.

?I know my place and wouldn?t think of trying anything like that. I was just happy to stay with the lead group and maintain my position.

?I?m happy with what I did out there and I?m looking forward to the next events.?