Bermuda's cycling team - perhaps the Island's best hope for success at the forthcoming Central American and Caribbean Games - will not be making the trip to El Salvador.

The championships take place at the end of November and local preparations are well in hand.

But although squash players, gymnasts, bowlers, sailors and track and field athletes have expressed an interest in making the trip, the Island's cyclists have been forced to turn down the opportunity.

National cycling coach Greg Hopkins said he informed Bermuda Olympic Association of the team's decision last week, saying it was unfortunate but his riders were beginning to feel the strain of what has been a long, tough year.

Not only have the likes of Kris Hedges, Geri Mewett and Wayne Scott cycled for their own teams in the US but they, along with fellow national team riders Melanie Claude and Julia Hawley, have also competed at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester and will fly to Curacao this weekend for the Caribbean Championships.

"I had a meeting with all of the riders, apart from MacInnis Looby who is in England, during the CD&P Grand Prix," Hopkins said. "They are all starting to get very tired, having been on the go since last November.

"The problem is that as well as extending their season by two months they are also not doing any racing in that time. You cannot expect to go to a high class competition, which CAC is in cycling with teams like Mexico, Venezuela and Cuba, if you have not had any race preparation. Without exception, even with the local riders, that would not be happening."

Hopkins said at one point there was a chance that the Island might send a team comprising in part triathletes Tyler Butterfield and Kent Richardson.

"Earlier in the year Tyler had said he wanted to ride the road race for us and I sort of figured maybe he, MacInnis, Kent and Karl (Outerbridge) might make up a team," he said. "But then Tyler called me last week form Australia and said by the time the World Triathlon Championships come round (early November in Cancun, Mexico) he will be wiped out.

"It's really very bad timing for our sport."

Hopkins said pulling out was not a decision that had been taken lightly.

"We are very disappointed, we really wanted to support it," he said. "We know based on our results last time that we could do well and surely better but you have to weigh up what the purpose is in going when you know your riders, number one, are going to be really tired out, and number two, are not going to be race fit. It's one thing being fit, but another thing being race fit. It's two different worlds."

Bermuda's cyclists also have one eye on next year's calendar.

"The season starts very early again next year with the Island Games in June, World B Championships, the Caribbean Championships again and the possibility of a couple of our riders qualifying for the Pan American Games," Hopkins said. "If they race through to the first week in December which the CAC would mean, when do they get their down time? When do they get to rebuild their base mileage through the winter?"

Hopkins said his riders were really in need of a break, although he stressed it was not the kind of break a non-cyclist might look forward to.

"It doesn't mean you don't ride for a month, but you certainly have a month of down time, of just riding when you feel like it," he said. "Certainly, the guys I am working with are going to be working on a weights programme through the winter and they need time to do all that. That's a two month period there.

"The whole picture when you put it together does not work well for us."