If their preparations are anything to go by then Bermuda's cyclists should be among the frontrunners at the forthcoming Island Games.

This past weekend four of those representing the Island at the event in Guernsey this summer - Melanie Claude, Lynn Patchett, Kent Richardson and Jean-Nicolas Bertrand - were among eight riders who travelled to Boston for two back-to-back races as they stepped up their training programme.

The quartet, who will be joined in Europe by Geri Mewett, Wayne Scott, Karl Outerbridge and Julia Hawley, put in some terrific performances in trying conditions on the east coast.

Despite still recovering from flu, Claude managed to finish ninth out of 35 female starters in the Palmer Road Race on Saturday and fourth in the Monson Road Race the following day out of 23 who set off.

Patchett, in her first overseas road race, hung on to Claude's coat tails on Saturday, coming in tenth and then bettered that by three positions on Sunday.

In the men's event, Bertrand and Richardson were joined by local riders Andy Kain, Andrew Davis, Marcelino Fereira and Ricky Sousa.

Kain placed 32nd in the opener out of 58 finishers from 109 starters, with Bertrand finishing in the same group.

On Sunday, both Kain and Bertrand failed to finish - not surprising given their exertions of the previous day. Richardson finished the race as did Davis and Fereira who remounted after crashing. Sousa, riding in the veterans' category, placed an unofficial 34th.

Claude said she was delighted with the way she performed given that she was not feeling her best.

"Ninth was a lot better than I had expected," she said of her opening race, which was held in the cold and rain. "I wasn't going in with any high expectations. It hurt because my legs were not totally in form - I tried to do a very conservative ride and tried to conserve my legs as much as I could throughout the loops that we did and hung on until the sprint."

Beforehand, Claude had said that she would not be racing as a team with Patchett as she felt it important that she experienced her first race herself. So for Patchett to come in right behind her was a fine achievement, she said.

"Lynn rode a very smart race," said Claude. "She has had some coaching with Greg Hopkins (former Bermuda national coach) recently and he did talk a bit of tactics with her. She kept herself near the front so that no one could get away - she is strong enough to do that."

On Sunday, the conditions had improved for the shorter second race.

"Day one was a 20 mile loop, while day two was a seven mile loop," Claude said. "But it did have a treacherous hill to it which we had to do five loops of."

On reflection, Claude said she felt Patchett would be a terrific addition to the national team.

"I thought it was really good training for us," she said of the Boston races. "It was really good to have Lynn there to see how she would ride. She rode very strongly and seemed very comfortable and I think that she will be great asset for the team.

"She needs a bit more experience on the bike but as far as strength and everything else is concerned she is certainly there."

On a personal front, Claude said she was happy to put in a good performance at at time when she was not at her peak.

"I was pleased to be able to survive, given the illness," she said. "And it was a good indication to me that I am not in too bad a shape.

"It makes me more determined to work harder knowing there is still time for progression."

Kain, meanwhile, was equally pleased with the way he performed.

"We don't have the experience here in Bermuda of mentally and physically preparing for back-to-back races like that, certainly I don't," he said. "I accomplished what I intended to do on the Saturday, so was content with that."

He said the trip had given him "invaluable experience".

"When you're riding with and travelling with the likes of Melanie Claude and Kent Richardson the little things that they contribute prepare you both mentally and physically for raising your level to that standard of competition," he said.

Kain missed out on qualifying for the Island Games squad but is not too downhearted.

"The Bicycle Association made a decision at the time when they had to and selected that team," he said. "Unfortunately, for myself, I didn't have a good start to the season - I started slow. I am getting in better shape and coming into my stride so I just want to be able to help out the riders who I train with every day to be the best prepared they can for the Games."

That said, Kain has set himself a lofty target on local soil.

"I moved up to Category Two this year as I haven't been riding that long and my main target is to win the National Road Race Championship," he said. "There is a lot of work to do but I do think it's realistic.

"There are half a dozen or so riders that can contend for that and we all train together every day so it's pretty fierce competition amongst us."