The CD&P Grand Prix came to a premature conclusion yesterday after race organisers were forced to cancel the weekend?s racing in light of approaching Tropical Storm Florence.

Although race director Peter Dunne said on Thursday that cyclists ?tend to compete come wind, rain or shine?, when many of the visiting professionals made it clear yesterday that they wished to go home before the storm hit, he was obliged to alter his previous stance.

Last night?s XL Lighthouse Challenge ? a short but steep sprint from Middle Road to Gibbs Hill Lighthouse ? was therefore the final stage of the event as both the Cheerios Dockyard Criterium and the Catlin Southside Road Race, planned for this weekend, were scrapped.

?Some of the cyclists have left or will be leaving on Saturday ? so there was no way we could continue over the weekend,? said a disappointed Dunne yesterday.

?It?s unfortunate but I think we?re right to err on the side of caution and cancel both races. Most of the cyclists do not want to be here in the middle of a hurricane and I can quite easily understand that.?

The change of plans meant that in the elite men?s category, Englishman Russell Downing of team DFL/cyclingnews.com was always likely to hang on to his 15-second lead over TIAA-CREFF rider Will Frischkorn, achieved during Thursday night?s Hamilton Criterium where he broke away spectacularly with five laps to go.

And so it proved, as the former British national champion finished third in yesterday?s time trial in two minutes and seven seconds ? some three seconds behind stage winner Karl Menzies of Team Catlin but well ahead of his nearest rival in the overall standings.

Downing claimed the Grand Prix winner?s jersey with a two-stage combined time of 45:29.9, ahead of Frischkorn and the third-placed Tim Johnson of Team Catlin by over 20 seconds.

Bermuda?s Geri Mewett, meanwhile, placed fifth in the overall standings in a time of 46.04.6.

The Tennessee-based, former Olympic swimmer came 12th in the second stage out of 60 riders, building impressively on his fifth placed finish the day before in the criterium ? a style of racing he considers a speciality.

In the elite women?s event, the overall leader from the criterium Laura VanGuilder from the US had already packed her bags and gone home yesterday in an effort to avoid the storm, leaving the door open for PABW rider Stacy Marple to claim the overall victory by seven seconds from Webcor-Platinum?s Felicia Gomez.

Defending champion Karen Brems, also of Webcor-Platinum and who came out of retirement to defend her title, finished fifth, 22 seconds behind the winner.

American Amber Rais won yesterday?s time trial stage in a time of two minutes and 29.6 seconds, just over a second quicker than Brems.

?It?s a real shame they?ve decided to call the weekend races off,? said male champion Russell, who only became aware of the decision late in the afternoon having been out on the roads training for most of the day.

?I?m disappointed because I came here to race and to train and it looks like that isn?t going to be possible with the weather we?ve got coming. When I last came here in 1999 there was a hurricane nearby (Hurricane Jose) so perhaps they have something to do with me!

?But seriously it?s a real shame because I and the whole team were looking forward to the races coming up and we were confident we could hold on for the rest of the week. It?s also a shame for the organisers as well. It takes a huge amount of work and organisation to put an event like this on and to have to end it prematurely is unfortunate.?