Conor White will break new ground on Thursday when he becomes the first cyclist to compete for Bermuda at a major event on the track.

White has travelled to Santiago, Chile, where he will appear in the velodrome for the first time in a Bermuda jersey as he embarks on an ambitious campaign at the Pan American Track Championships.

The 26-year-old will take on some of the best track riders in the world in five endurance events ― the Scratch Race, the Points Race, the Omnium, the Individual Pursuit and Elimination event ― and is thrilled to be making more cycling history for Bermuda.

“It feels great to be the first Bermudian to compete at this level on the track and I think it’s been a long time coming,” White said.

“Ideally we would have been on the track years ago but I guess no one’s really been inclined to give it a go as we don't really have the facilities in Bermuda. It’s been fun but it feels like a steep learning curve and as if I’m learning a whole new part of cycling.”

White will be the least experienced track rider at the event and will be coming up against the might of the US and Canada among others. It is no surprise that he holds no major expectations for his performance but he believes he has the ability to make an impact.

“When I go to major events on the road such as the time-trial at the Pan American Games, my goal is to get a medal,” White said.

“But as it’s my first time going on the track, I don’t really know what the level of competition is other than it’s going to be high. I'm just going to gain as much experience as I can and try to get the best results I possibly can.

“I believe I have the engine to do it and the legs in the endurance events to get a medal but to do that I will need to learn fast. Tactics on the track are different than on the road because everything happens so much faster.

“Most of the riders I’m competing against grew up doing this and one thing I’m missing is years of experience. There are some events I still need to work on and some that I’ve picked up pretty well, but this is just another learning experience for me.”

A cyclist on the track rides without brakes and cannot stop pedalling, with high-speed crashes an ever-present risk. White is aware of the recent injury suffered by compatriot Kaden Hopkins but does not allow himself to think of potential negatives in advance of the competition.

“Some of these events are definitely a bit more scary than others as you are tightly packed with other riders and that generally causes more incidents,” he said. “Throw in that you are racing without brakes and without being able to stop pedalling and it’s a little nerve-wracking.

“But on the road you can be racing and someone can just brake-check you, but you can’t really do that on the track, so you’re kind of safe unless someone actually crashes as they’re not going to stop in front of you.

“That took a little while to get used to as did the fact the track is super tight and you’re on 45-degree banking, which can also be a bit nerve-wracking, but I’m getting better at coping with that.”

White is lithe on the bike and taller than most cyclists, but despite plenty of track riders looking like bodybuilders on two wheels, he has not been tempted to change his physique too much.

“I’ve gone a bit heavier than I was in previous years on the road because track is more about raw power than it is about weight,” he said

“When I say a bit heavier, I’m just talking about 4 to 5lbs but that extra muscle helps. Endurance events on the track are not as power-focused as sprinting. If I was to go and do sprinting on the track, I'd basically have to become a bodybuilder, which does not appeal to me at all, but you do need to be explosive.”

White has happy memories of Santiago after winning a bronze medal in the city at the Pan American Games in 2023 but whereas he was part of a team for that assignment, this time around he is flying solo.

“It’s nice to be back in Chile but it will be different this time as I am not with Kaden, any team-mates or any Bermuda support staff,” he said.

“When I was there last time there was an athletes’ village, but I'm the only one that's going and there is none of that this time around. It will be a bit different, but I've been looking forward to going back to ride some of the same roads that I was on last time.”