Cyclist Kris Hedges' chances of making next year's Olympics were effectively dashed in a race he described as “the most dangerous I have ever ridden in”.

Hedges was one of six Bermudians taking part in the World B Championships in Switzerland yesterday.

Needing to finish in the top 15 at Monthey to cement a spot at the Athens Olympiad, Hedges placed 42nd. His time of three hours, 55 minutes and 52 seconds was the same as 37th place rider, Yugoslav Mico Brkovic, but 12 minutes off the final qualifying place. Brazil's Murilo Fischer won the title in 3:42:43.

Though obviously disappointed, Hedges, who saw team-mates Geri Mewett, Kent Richardson and Wayne Scott all fail to last the pace, should be proud of his performance considering just 55 of the 166 starters completed the 151 kilometre race.

“I finished . . .,” was Hedges' assessment from the team's Swiss base last night. “It was a crazy day really. We started with about 170 guys and the opening couple of laps were really chaotic - a lot of crashes and incidents and mayhem going on. It was kind of ridiculous really.”

A starting position in the 140s did not help matters but Hedges did his best as the riders began the nine lap trek.

“I survived the first couple of laps and was actually starting to find my rhythm a bit,” he said. “We had done six laps and with two and a half laps to go I thought I was in a pretty good position going up the hill. But coming off it it singled out and there were horrendous gaps opening up. I lost contact with the front runners and was in a small group of four or five riders and it was evident we weren't going to be able to fully close the gap.”

Hedges said he and his fellow riders managed to keep the distance between themselves and the leaders down to 12 seconds but a ‘brutal' headwind led to the difference increasing as the end approached.

“I finished 42nd out of 170 starters which, riding by myself, was not too bad,” he said.

Hedges had harboured hopes of a better finish, especially as the course layout - without too many climbs - was to his liking. But in the end it was not to be.

“The whole hill section and back side of the course was really narrow and I am just not used to fighting for position like that,” said the US-based Team Snow Valley rider.

Add to that the prize on offer and it is not difficult to understand what the Bermudian was up against.

The 23-year-old said: “It was lightning fast and extremely dangerous. I have to say it was definitely the most dangerous race I have ever done. There were a lot of roundabouts and islands in the way and there was a lot at stake. This was pretty much the only way to get to the Olympics.

“They (riders) were taking some serious risks - often the sidewalk was the fastest way to move up! It was just bizarre.”

Although technically out of the running for the Olympics, there is still the slightest of chances that a Bermuda cyclist might yet end up on the plane to Greece, and with that in mind Hedges is not planning to put his feet up for a while.

“Obviously, Bermuda could get a wildcard entry - they delegate those where they see fit,” he said. “So I hope to have a good ride at Pan Ams (August) and then there is still a lot racing ahead of me this year.”

Bermuda's female duo of Melanie Claude and Julia Hawley, needing to come in the top nine to gain entry to the Olympics, finished 19th and 20th respectively in 2:59:05 - the same time as 14th placed rider Yanxia Jiang of China. Her team-mate Li Meifang won the 100 kilometre event in 2:54:08.

“It was a tough course,” said Hawley, who was also vying for a spot in the Pan-Am Games squad with her team-mate and friend. “Basically, from the get-go it was a hard pace. People were dropping off the back pretty quickly. By the second lap we had lost half the field and were down to a group of 20.”

By the next the riders began to splinter further as the hill took its toll.

“It was a bit frustrating because we were actually not that far off the other group,” said Hawley. “But there was only a couple of us working because some of the other riders already had people in that group.

“At one point they were really quite close, like 15 seconds up the road. But that was before we hit the climb for the fourth time and when we did they were gone.”

Hawley said she was generally pleased with her performance considering the standard of the competition.

“Four years ago we did this race in Uruguay and I was just into cycling then,” she said. “But the whole level of competition has just increased so much, it's unreal.”

Claude agreed with her fellow rider's sentiments.

“We tried our best and the effort was made,” said the 41-year-old, still not fully over a crash she suffered a month ago. “Jules certainly put a lot of effort in trying to get everybody together. She did a lot of work as far as trying to bridge the gap was concerned. But it just wasn't going to happen, there was not enough support and because of that there was never any chance of getting back on.”