Danielle Bezant rode into the history books of Bermuda Bicycle Association this week when at the sport's Annual General Meeting she became the first female president in the 27-year history of the association.

Taking over from Martin Bolton, who has overseen the administration of cycling in Bermuda for the past three years, Bezant will be at the helm of a sport that has grown both in size and stature in recent years.

Cycling has completed arguably its most successful season ever in 2002, culminating in the Island's top riders taking seven medals in the Caribbean Championships in Curacao in October.

Bezant however, says she has no intention of letting the sport rest on its laurels and has already outlined some new initiatives for the new year.

Treasurer Richard Mason, who stood down from his position after eight years of service, informed the meeting of a 20 percent increase in membership and race entries for the 2002 season.

Bezant followed this up by announcing the inclusion of a 'citizens category' for 2003, which will be specifically designed to attract the less serious cyclist to give them a "less competitive introduction to the sport".

"We all see a lot of people out cycling every day who don't do our events and are perhaps still a little intimidated at the thought of racing but would like try it," she said. "Hopefully, the introduction of citizens events run alongside our normal programme will encourage them to come out."

Renowned in the sport as a tireless worker, the new president, who had served as secretary for the past four years, plans to continue the development programme for junior riders.

Bezant has been the driving force for the past two years behind trips for more than 20 youngsters to the US east coast to race and experience overseas competition and plans are already underway for next year. Organising a busy schedule for each trip, Bezant also includes field trips and other activities and next year expects to take the youngsters to a training camp in the US to add to the local clinics and week-long summer camp staged by the BBA each year.

Bezant admitted the task ahead of her was a large one.

"It is definitely intimidating when I look at what is ahead of us next year," she said. "For our top seniors we have the Caribbean Championships, Island Games, and B World Championships and hopefully the Pan-Am Games.

"Add to that the junior camps, women's clinics that we held last winter, the junior trip away and of course the Conyers Dill and Pearman Grand Prix that has developed into a big international event, then we have a very full local event calendar both on the road and in mountain biking. It makes you wonder how it will all happen."

However, Bezant is confident her committee and the many volunteers will see it all come to fruition.

"We have a very solid, experienced and well-rounded executive who I know will come through again this year, as will the unsung heroes, our volunteers," she said.

The executive is now evenly split with men and women, but Bezant quickly emphasised that did not mean a bias towards the fairer sex.

"When you look at the likes of Melanie (Claude) and Julia (Hawley) blazing the way, women have become a very important part of our sport and we want to build on that," she said. "Our juniors have a lot of riders to look up to and something to aim for when they see our top riders competing so well.

"Bermuda has become a force to be reckoned with and is respected within our region. Our juniors can see something to set as a goal."

The new president said that her biggest fear was not being able to finance the many programmes in the sport.

"It will be a major task for the executive to raise funding for everything we want to do next year and into the future," she said. "We have always worked hard at raising our own funding but with the demands so high now we will have to have to put more effort into convincing the Government, the Bermuda Olympic Association and corporate Bermuda that we deserve support as much as, if not more than, the many organisations looking for help."

Other appointments: Graham Smith, returning vice-president; Sharon Fenn, secretary; Steve Millington, treasurer; Melanie Claude and Gino Crofton, road captains.

Appointed posts were: Greg Hopkins, national coach; Sharon Fenn and Gino Crofton, Olympic Association representatives; Jennifer Hedges, time trial co-ordinator and national squad manager; Keithe Fenn, membership secretary and points series co-ordinator.