Cyclist Kaden Hopkins is still on cloud nine after taking his chance to shine at the Road World Championships in Montreal on Sunday.

Hopkins led the field on a number of occasions after making it into an early breakaway of 16 riders during the road race and the experience of hanging with the world’s best for more than 130 kilometres will be one he never forgets.

“It was an awesome experience and probably the best I’ve ever had on a bike,” Hopkins said.

“I’ve won medals for Bermuda at some pretty big events before, but it was super special being from a small country and being in front of the biggest bike race in the world.

“I don’t rank myself anywhere near those guys who are the best in the world, so I just wanted to try and get something out of the day and getting in the breakaway was the best way to do that.”

While Hopkins had thought about possible tactics, the cut and thrust of life in the peloton means chances have to be taken if you are to garner the world’s attention.

“I went into it pretty open-minded and just raced off instinct,” he said.

“I didn't want to be wasting tons of energy but it was pretty clear right from the end of the neutral zone that there were a lot of big countries trying to get in the breakaway.

“It was a super aggressive race with big countries like Slovenia, Norway and Latvia who have really strong riders, and they were putting some of their big guys in there.

“Everyone was co-operating well and we ended up opening a huge gap of more than eight minutes at one point.”

After 100km of racing, the leaders made it on to the street circuit in Montreal with crowds lining the streets and, as the chasing pack closed in, Hopkins was forced to dig deep to stay with the leaders.

“Coming into the local circuit, which is where most of the crowds were and you could hear people screaming your name gave me a boost,” he said.

“But it was really hard to hang with the top guys and, honestly, it just keeps getting harder in the sport.

“A couple of years ago I was in the Commonwealth Games breakaway that won but that race’s total distance was shorter than what we did in the breakaway at the world champs.

“I knew it was going to be hard but the fewer riders there are in the pack, the smoother your effort is as there is not the same fighting for position at every corner.”

Hopkins was eventually dropped by the breakaway and caught by the peloton before being withdrawn by race organisers, but he remained ecstatic despite being one of more than 150 riders who failed to finish the race.

“It was physically the best day I’ve had on a bike,” he said.

“Even before I got pulled, there was never a point where I completely exploded. When I was in Switzerland two years ago in the road race there, I remember I got to four hours in and I was basically just on my hands and knees. I was completely empty and completely dead.

“But yesterday I felt strong right until they pulled the group that I was in. I knew I was in the shape to produce an effort like that, but the standard is eye-opening.

“As soon as the peloton with all the favourites in it started to put in those efforts, it destroyed the gap that we had. They took three minutes out of us in a lap, which is almost unbelievable, but it’s no secret now how strong the best guys in the world are.”

Hopkins has just one race left this year and will again be competing for Bermuda in the Caribbean Cycling Championships in Dominican Republic next week.

He heads into that assignment full of confidence after his world championship effort and is hopeful of picking up a medal or two.

“This race has given me a lot of confidence and between now and the Caribbean Championships I’m hoping to at least maintain this level that but also try to build on it,” Hopkins said.

“Sometimes when you finish these big events you feel like you need to take a break but I still feel pretty fresh and I’m going to give it everything I have in the Caribbean.”