Tyler Butterfield is showing he can mix it with the big boys.

After four stages of the Tour de la Guadeloupe on Tuesday, the Bermudian was 15th out of 118 cyclists ? many of them professionals ? in the ten-day stage race.

Only in his first year with top amateur cycling team Vendee U of France, the 22-year-old has performed remarkably so far in the August 5-14 event in the French Caribbean outpost, even enjoying the general classification?s (GC) overnight lead after last weekend?s prologue and first stage.

Following Sunday?s two-part second stage, Butterfield ? who placed 33rd and 19th respectively in the two phases ? slipped to 21st overall out of 129 competitors at that time.

On Monday, just as he looked set to challenge for the limelight seriously, misfortune struck and he placed 64th in Stage Three and dropped a bit further to 28th overall ? five minutes and 59 seconds behind the leader.

However, though official results for Tuesday?s fourth stage were unavailable online, former national coach Greg Hopkins, who is in close contact with Butterfield, revealed the latter had ridden well again to climb back up to 15th overall before preparing to tackle the first mountain segment (Stage Five) yesterday.

?After Stage Four he was 3.30 behind leader Christian Luce of France on GC,? disclosed Hopkins, lauding the ex-triathlete?s heroics on the bike among more seasoned rivals.

?It?s a very good start after four stages to be riding the way he is and in the position that he is. On Stage Three he was involved in a breakaway of riders but he got a flat tyre. By the time he got a change of wheel, the first chase group came by and he jumped in with them but if he had stayed with the breakaway which actually kept the lead for the rest of that stage he would have been the GC leader overall.

?He was just really unlucky. He got a (replacement) wheel off a neutral support but he had a problem with that so he had to wait for (coach) Phillippe (Mauduit) to come and change his wheel. Otherwise it could have been a big difference.?

Hopkins described Butterfield as being ?very upbeat when I spoke to him last night (Tuesday night)?.

?The only thing was he said he fell asleep at the dinner table. He was just so tired and obviously they?ve still got quite a few stages to go,? he noted of the Tour which concludes on Sunday with a two-part stage totalling 117 kilometres.

?He was very positive and happy. He was pleased with the way he was riding and the way he was feeling in the races.?

Regarding the remainder of the race, the cycling veteran noted the mountains would be a test for young Butterfield whose personal fortunes might have to take a back seat to team priorities.

?He obviously has to fit into the team plan and he is not the designated rider that the others are supposed to be supporting but he is clearly riding so well that if he gets into a breakaway and finds himself near the top in GC then it may change his expectations.

?You have to bear in mind it?s the first time he has ever done a ten-day stage race. It?s a huge undertaking. He has done stage races but none as long as this. Most of the stages are over 140 kilometres so every day is at least four hours of riding,? said Hopkins, adding such exposure could help Butterfield determine whether he prefers that type of race to a one-day classic.

The 2004 Olympic triathlete signed for Vendee U ? an Under-23 team ? last September following a stunning capture of the men?s Elite title at the CD&P Bermuda Grand Prix here, defeating some major international riders.

In January, he joined up with the highly-rated unit which is the amateur division of top professional cycling team Bouijues TeleCom which boasts former world cycling champion Laurent Brochard and Tour de France sensation Thomas Vochler. Many of the amateurs graduate to Bouijues? pro ranks.