Bermuda’s top cyclists will test themselves over a gruelling course starting at Kindley Field Road on Sunday when the Bermuda National Road Race Championships, sponsored by CG Insurance, are held.

The open male category, led by defending champion and recent Sinclair Packwood Memorial Bermuda Day winner Dominique Mayho, will battle it out for 60 miles as they complete six laps of the course that will take them to St David’s and then to the top of Blue Hole Hill to the roundabout outside Swizzle Inn and then back to Kindley Field Road.

Mayho claimed the title won the previous year by Tyler Smith, who did not compete in 2021, with Mayho clocking a time of 2hr 33min 20sec to edge out Conor White in a sprint finish.

Mayho will have some stiff competition with the likes of White, Kaden Hopkins and Nic Narraway in the line-up. “All the big dogs are here already, Kaden, Conor, Nick, Liam Flannery and Zander Miller have come back specifically for this,” said a pleased Peter Dunne, president of the Bermuda Bicycle Association.

“Caitlin [Conyers] is back as well and will be here until she goes to the Commonwealth Games. In the past we’ve always had an open male category and then male and female juniors, but this year we’ve actually separated out a male masters category, 40+, and that in itself will be interesting.

“Alex and Nicholas Pilgrim are here as well and have told me that they are racing as well.”

Conyers is the defending women’s open champion after clocking a winning time of 2:00:39 over the women’s 40-mile course. Nicole Mitchell and Karen Smith finished second and third last year.

The Masters Male, Open Female and Junior Male riders will all do four laps of the course as they cover 40 miles while the Junior Female riders will compete over three laps.

Alexander Miller is the junior male defending champion after outpacing Nick Pilgrim and Liam Flannery, while Liana Medeiros won last year’s junior female race ahead of Charlotte Millington.

The Open Male will start at 8am, followed at 8.05 by the Masters Male (40+), the Junior Male group at 8.10 and the Open Female and Junior Female at 8.15.

There will be a podium ceremony immediately after the conclusion of the Open Male race with the Open Male, Open Female and Masters Male winners each receiving $150, with $100 going to the second place finishers and $50 to third place.

The top three junior male and female finishers will receive $75, $50 and $25 respectively.

Because of roadworks the start/finish has had to be moved from Clearwater parking lot to Kindley Field Road. There are no hard road closures occurring during the championships; however, police will provide rolling support for each category of riders.

From 8am to approximately noon, rolling closures will temporarily allow cyclists to safely pass through the course and keep traffic flowing. The BBA is asking everyone to drive with caution and to please follow the directions provided by the race marshals at intersections.