With the 2002 Commonwealth Games firmly on their minds, members of the Bermuda national cycling squad will meet this weekend for the first time since their successful trip to the Caribbean Championships in Aruba in October last year when Kris Hedges won a gold medal in the time trial.

Hedges, Steve Millington and Florida-based Wayne Scott will line up together on Sunday morning in the Jefferson Cup race in Virginia in an event that national coach Greg Hopkins sees as an important event, especially for Millington and Scott.

"I wanted to get as many of our national squad riders at this event as possible," said Hopkins. "It is a challenging course similar to the profile of the Commonwealth Games course in Manchester.

"Kris has already met the standards for the Games but Steve and Wayne still have some work to do and this course will give us a good indication where they are in that process right now.

"Wayne is racing at the level he needs to week in and week out and is presently in second place in the Florida Race Series standings after a great start to the season, but this will be a big test for him this weekend."

The race course is over 70 miles of rolling hills with one tough climb that is expected to stretch all of the riders.

Hedges will race for Team Snow Valley this weekend as one of their lead riders but will also keep an eye on the performances of his Bermuda team-mates.

"It will be interesting being in the same race but not on the same team," said Hedges. "It is a tough course and even though it is a regional race the quality of the field is always good."

Asked what he expected of the Bermuda riders, he said: "I hope they will have a good race. This course is similar to what we have seen of the course in Manchester and the riders will be of a similar standard to a lot of the field expected for the Games. I think they can do well and will hopefully be in the top 25 percent at the finish."

Scott understands the importance of the event. "It's a big weekend," he said. "I have been riding well and racing for the past month in Florida after my best ever winter preparation. In cycling you just hope that when you get to a big event like this, that everything clicks at the same time."

Of his goal of reaching the Commonwealth Games, Scott added: "I am going to do whatever it takes to get there, the Games are huge. By far it would be the biggest accomplishment that I would ever make."

MacInnis Looby, who won the Front Street race last week, will not be travelling to Virginia but said: "I have given myself a deadline to be back in England at the end of the month and to be set up and get in some quality racing because I know what that's going to take."

Of the Games, Looby added: "These Games means a little more than the first Games I went to (Malaysia) because the excitement for that was just getting there. This time I think we can be a factor as a team."

Hopkins explained: "This race is very important but we expect our riders to show they are riding at this level of consistently.

"It is easier for our overseas-based riders as they are exposed to this level of racing all the time. Steve (Millington) and Mac (Looby) know that they have to race internationally to meet the standards and they both have plans to do that."

Hopkins was hoping for Geri Mewett to also be on the start line but he has to fulfil commitments to his team, Cane Creek, and will be racing in Atlanta on the weekend.

Triathlete Jonathon Herring has also signed up to race this Sunday..