Bermuda's top cyclists found themselves touring museums rather than pushing their pedals when they travelled to the USA last weekend.

Melanie Claude, Jean-Nicolas Bertrand, Kent Richardson and Andy Kain had made the trip to Charlottesville, Virginia where they were joined by Jonathan Herring and Kris Hedges for the annual Jefferson Cup.

"When they first got there on Saturday the temperature was in the 80s, perfect conditions because they don't have the humidity like we have in Bermuda," said former Bermuda national cycling coach Greg Hopkins. "They actually got out on the course and rode it.

"But when they woke up on Sunday and it was 32 degrees and snowing. They called the race information number and it said the race had not been cancelled, so they drove out to the start but when they got there the officials were actually dismantling the start-finish line."

Hopkins described it as a "real shame".

"The four who flew from here had made the financial commitment and they had taken time out of work Friday and Monday, travelled all the way out there and no race. It's one of the real drawbacks for locally based cyclists who are trying to make headway in the sport," he said.

"The conditions were so bad they said they couldn't even go for a training ride.

"They were all pretty despondent when they called me."