Kris Hedges' cycling career is set for another major change of direction.

After joining pro US team, Snow Valley, in the past year, Bermuda's number one is ready to move to the next level.

Two days before the start of the Commonwealth Games road race, national cycling coach Greg Hopkins revealed that the pair had spoken about taking Hedges' talents to Europe.

"We have spoken quite a bit today about his future and I think he has pretty much made his mind up that within the next 12 months he is going to make the step up to the next level," said the coach.

"By that I mean he is already investigating the option of going over to Europe. As much as it is tremendous racing in the US, it's a sort of a limited level of racing.

"Kris really wants to find - and he deserves it after all the years he has been involved in cycling - how far he really can go. He is at a stage in his education now at Johns Hopkins University where it is not going to do any harm to take a full year off and go to Europe.

"His time trial performance last weekend and what he does this weekend will have a big affect on his final decision in that regard."

Hopkins said Hedges' achievement on the time trial was exceptional.

"Make no bones about it, it was an excellent performance," he said. "The lay person in Bermuda might say 'well, he came 18th' but when you put the whole picture into perspective and bear in mind that his whole preparation was geared towards this Saturday and not last Saturday, it was a tremendous performance.

"He got a lot of coverage on the day and on the most renowned website on the internet, cyclingnews.com - that hasn't done him any harm at all and a good solid performance this weekend will just add a little bit more to his case."

As one of the Island's top athletes at the moment there is a huge weight of expectation on Hedges' shoulders - something not lost on his coach.

"It's added pressure on him but pressure is something that ever since being a young kid Kris has been able to handle very well," Hopkins said.

"He is an absolute perfectionist. He is meticulous in his preparation, has done the work and knows the importance of this race this weekend. I have got no doubts that if he gets the performance that he wants, although he is always very harsh on himself, there is not much he cannot do.

"He is often content with a performance but he is never satisfied. To make it in cycling you really have to have that attitude.

"That's why he is continually improving. A lot of people would reach a certain level and say 'that's great'. Kris is never happy, he is always looking to get better and get more experience. He will be encouraged to do that certainly if his road race performance is anything like his time trial."