Kaden Hopkins is riding into this week’s UCI Road World Championships in Montreal feeling as strong as he has all year.

Hopkins has recovered from a second broken collarbone of the year, which occurred on stage eight of the Tour de Guadeloupe, and is focused on producing his best performance against the world’s elite riders starting with the Time-Trial tomorrow.

“I’ve had absolutely no complications in recovery,” Hopkins said. “The first time that I broke my collarbone, it was weeks before I had full mobility back again but this time, after like a week, my physio basically said to me, at this point, I was just coming in to say hello to him.”

Hopkins, who will represent Bermuda alongside Nicholas Narraway in both the time-trial and road race, said the enforced break from the bike may even have worked in his favour after a heavy block of racing that included the CAC Games and ten days of racing in Guadeloupe.

“I honestly think because of how much training I did and how many hours I did in my preparation for Guadeloupe, the body was kind of in need of a rest anyway,” he said. “When the body has bounced back, I feel like it’s bounced back even better than it was before.”

The two cyclists have been putting the final touches to the preparations at Hopkins’ family cottage about an hour away from Montreal in the build-up, with the tranquil setting providing both a physical and mental boost.

“It’s nice to be here more than a week before to have the time to get over jet lag,” Hopkins said.

“Sometimes we end up heading to these events and have only a couple of days before we're actually racing, so to be here in familiar surroundings is great.

“I’ve come here almost every year of my life, so I know the area really well and it feels like a second home to me. It’s been good for the mental side of things too, I know the World Championships is a huge event, but I don't feel any pressure going into it.”

For Narraway, who finished twelfth overall at the Green Mountain Stage Race after receiving a late call-up his team for the Philadelphia Classic, the confidence is there heading into Montreal.

“I think the form coming into Worlds is definitely there,” he said. “I’ve just got to hope everything comes together.

“I think any time riding in the pink is pretty memorable and you’re definitely proud for it. I'm very lucky to have done it twice already, once in Belgium, once in Switzerland, and it's really special.

“There are a lot of Bermudians in Montreal and I know some people are actually coming up to watch the race, so for them to see Kaden and I in the pink and surrounded by other Bermudians in the biggest race in the world, it’s going to be really special.”

When it comes to expectations, both riders know it is unlikely that they will be contesting for medals given the quality of their competitors, but Narraway knows what he is hoping for.

“To be honest, for us it’s pretty hard to imagine a finishing position that you can be proud of, given the competition,” he said.

“It’s a tough race but as long as I put out a performance that I know is my best on the day, and hopefully the best of the year and maybe the past two years, then that is a good time-trial and the position I get is the position I get.

“There are so many new riders every year coming into the race and going out of the race that it’s hard to predict what will happen, but hopefully our performances are up there.”