BERMUDA'S young cyclists enjoyed the training session of their dreams this week when Chris Carmichael, coach of six-time Tour de France Champion Lance Armstrong, put them through their paces.

Carmichael is widely regarded as the person responsible for making Armstrong the world's top cyclist with a training programme designed to work with Armstrong's post-cancer body.

He is also coach of four-time Olympian George Hincapie, former World Champion Dede Demet-Berry, 2000 Olympian Dylan Casey, and 2000 and 2004 Paralympian Ron Williams.

Carmichael told the key to training youngsters is recognising that character development was the most important aspect as very few young hopefuls make it to the top level.

Carmichael, 44, trained about 15 youngsters, aged from eight to 15, at Clearwater Beach on Sunday morning and approved of what he saw of them and the wider cycling scene.

"The kids were very enthusiastic, they had good skill development and enjoy a good coaching structure.

"I think it looks like a very healthy cycling environment here. It's organised and there's a good junior programme."

Carmichael, who has helped athletes to 33 Olympic, World Championships and Pan American Games medals, went over energy skills and tactics but kept it fun.

"It should be about fun versus training and fun in competitions versus following a very strict training programme.

"If it's repetitive you will end up chasing kids out of the sport."

Youngsters were taught gear skills and learned about when to tuck in behind the pack leader and when to forge ahead.

Bermuda's children were obviously a contrast to coaching Lance Armstrong who demands incredibly high standards.

"But they are no less than the standards he demands of himself," said Carmichael who has coached Armstrong since 1990.

The top coach also gave a motivational speech at the Bermuda Bicycling Association's awards banquet at the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club on Friday night.

Local cyclist Neil de ste Croix said: "Chris gave a good speech on his experiences with Lance Armstrong and how to overcome those low moments in life when you feel like throwing in the towel without looking at the ramifications further down the line or actually why you want to quit.

"He has authored a number of books on nutrition as well as training and he provided interesting information to our athletes."

He said Carmichael emphasised spinning (high cadence pedalling) which is an essential skill best learned young.

He had arranged Carmichael's trip after the initial dinner speaker dropped out at the last minute.

"I sent an e-mail asking if he was interested and he said great. Luck I suppose. I am sure he will come again but ask him," said de ste Croix.

Carmichael told it was no wrench to leave snowy Colorado Springs where he lives with wife Paige, daughter Anna and son Conner and he is keen to come again.

He and Paige brought their bikes along with them and have been barrelling along Bermuda's roads in every spare moment.

"I am enjoying them. They are nice with rolling terrain and pretty good for cycling. There's a lot more roads than I thought there would be and drivers are pretty courteous.

"Most people seem to stay within the speed limit.

"The road are narrow but I have seen a lot narrower. I have been from Somerset to St. George's ? the weather's been great."

Carmichael, who flew home yesterday said next time he would like to run sessions for adults.

"It's a great place, I have really enjoyed all aspects. The people and the local environment. Hopefully we will be back."

Former Olympian Chris Carmichael has a reputation as more than a top cycling coach and is highly sought after to coach other world class athletes.

He is the only coach to have coached a Tour de France Champion and Ironman World Champion in the same year.

In January 2001, Carmichael agreed to serve as fitness coach of Indy Car Racing's Eliseo Salazar who finished third in the 2000 Indianapolis 500.

In March 2002, Carmichael began working with Montreal Canadiens' team captain Saku Koivu following his treatments for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

He has also worked as a coaching consultant with world record holder and Olympic gold medallist swimmer Ed Moses and coached two-time Ironman World Champion Peter Reid.

Carmichael won the title of the 2004 Entrepreneur of the Year by Colorado's Celebrate Technology Coalition.

Inducted into the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame in 2003 Carmichael was awarded the prestigious United States Olympic Committee's Coach of the Year Award as well as the Cycling Coach of the Year Award in 1999.

He has served as an educator of coaches in economically disadvantaged countries.

From 1990 to 1997 Carmichael worked for USA Cycling in Colorado Springs, Colorado as National Coaching Director.

He served as the road cycling coach for the 1992 Olympics and as head coach during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, where US Cyclists took home three medals. He also coached several World Championships teams.

In 1996, Carmichael directed Project '96, USA Cycling's state-of-the-art technology project. During his tenure at USA Cycling, he created the coaching education program, a certification program designed to develop cycling coaches.

A member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Cycling Team, Carmichael was part of the first American team to ride in the Tour de France in 1986.

He was a member of the US National Cycling Team from 1978-1984.

He has authored many books and his training methods have been featured on NBC , the , CBS's and ABC's .