The 31-year-old cycling ace touched 40 mph as he snatched back the crown he lost last year to Henry.

With a thrilling burst of speed, he zoomed past the finishing line one-and-a-half cycle lengths ahead of his rival.

His victory in the sprint championship at yesterday's UPS Front Street Races had a small crowd buzzing.

"Naturally I feel good. I did not feel I should have lost last year,'' exclaimed Packwood, who has won several times before.

His triumph was just reward for the four or five days of gruelling training he puts in during the week.

Packwood and Henry squared up after a series of sprint heats. Mike Lee and Vance Stevens tied for third.

Later, Stevens rode off with top prize in the senior criterium -- the race which organisers, Bermuda Bicycle Association, give equal billing to the 200-metre sprint.

Thirty-three-year-old Stevens, clad in dazzling green and black, beat off 10 competitors to score a hat-trick of triumphs.

The race -- 30 minutes of cycling, followed by a final lap -- was all about tactics, announced commentator Greg Hopkins.

Until the last two laps, any one of seven riders was in with a chance, including Stevens, Damian Wilson, Lee and Henry.

One of the most popular early leaders was 55-year-old Jeff Payne -- the oldest man in the races.

Payne showed he had kept in tip-top condition since his glory days when he competed in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico.

But he moved off the pace in the dying moments, finishing sixth.

In the final sprint to the finish, Stevens edged out Wilson by half a cycle length.

Henry -- his strength sapped by his sprint efforts -- came third.

Stevens, who finished in a time of 32 minutes, seven seconds, afterwards explained his tactics.

"From the start everybody sat back and watched. I thought I would take the race to them since I was the defending champion.

"Mike Lee and Jeff Payne were doing all the work, and trying to get away, but I felt very confident going into the race.'' Stevens told how he split from the pack in the final lap.

"The rest went right, but I decided to go left with my nose in the wind.'' Stevens was keen to pay tribute to Payne.

"I would be glad to have his pair of lungs when I'm his age.'' Plenty of excitement was also provided by the junior criterium -- six minutes and one lap.

About 10 competitors, aged between 10 and 14, took part.

Chad Townsell emerged the clear winner, but there was a close call for second.

The officials ruled Kris Hedges scraped home by a half a wheel from Jonathan Herring.

Also racing were women, novices, and veterans, who competed in another criterium -- 25 minutes, plus one lap.

Melanie Claude repeated last year's triumph to win the women's category with a time of 27:49.

McInnes Looby scooped top honours in the novice section with 26:52, while Vic Ball carried off first prize in the veterans' class, passing the finish in 26:53.

It was his second successive triumph as a veteran.

Organisers -- keen to attract more youngsters to cycling -- also laid on two pee wee races.

Roy-Allen Burch rode to glory in the five to seven-year-old category, while 11-year-old Robin Massey proved a winner in the eight to 11-year-old class.

RIDING FOR GLORY -- Cyclists bunch up during the Senior Criterium race on Front Street yesterday. With his nose in front is defending champion Vance Stevens, the eventual winner, while sprint champion Sinclair Packwood is at far right.