compete in the World B Championships in Montevideo, with qualification for the 2000 Olympic Games next year in Australia at stake.

However, national coach Greg Hopkins stressed that the team's top priority is to win a medal in Uruguay, with Olympic qualification "icing on the cake''.

In the men's competition Geri Mewett, Mike Lee, Kris Hedges, Steve Millington and Steve Sterritt will be looking to get a rider into the top seven places in the road race, while in the women's event Melanie Claude and Julia Hawley will need to place in the top five to secure coveted Olympic Games qualification places.

Millington and Sterritt are not Bermudians and thus are not eligible to represent the country in the Olympics. But they can help open up a qualifying place for a local rider.

Hopkins said a top seven place among the men and top five in the women would assure a Bermudian of qualifying, though it did not have to be the rider who finished in that spot. That choice would be at the discretion of the Bermuda Olympic Association.

The World B Championships, which is for countries outside the top 30 registered federations under cycling's world governing body, the UCI, takes place from November 7-14 with a full programme of track and road events.

Bermuda's top cyclist Elliot Hubbard was deemed ineligible last month under the competition rules because he rides for a category two registered professional team, New Jersey Navigators. That puts 1999 national road race champion Geri Mewett in the likely position of designated rider for the team based on his impressive performances this year.

Hopkins said: "Geri Mewett has been racing extensively in the US all year and training with the top professional team, Shaklee. He showed us what he is capable of in the national championships and the CD&P Grand Prix. The other riders have confidence in him and will all work to help him. They all have a lot of international experience.'' Mewett, who has been training and riding full time in Tennessee, and Hedges, who is attending college at John Hopkins University, will join their Bermuda teammates en route to Uruguay tomorrow.

Melanie Claude, who has recorded impressive results all year, including her overall victory in the CD&P Grand Prix as well as fine performances in the Americas Cup, the Canada Tour and the prestigious Killington Stage race in Vermont, will likely feel the most pressure of expectation as she has her mind clearly set on a medal position in the road race. "Melanie has already proven this year that she is capable of riding with top flight women's fields,'' said Hopkins.

"In her case it will all be a matter of making the right moves at the right time with a certain amount of luck thrown in. She has the drive, ambition, talent and conditioning to do well.'' Mewett and 1999 national time trial champion Kris Hedges are expected to compete on November 11 in the 40.2K time trial in Montevideo as will Claude and Hawley, before the whole team moves to Punta de Este for the men's 157.5K and women's 63K road races on November 14.

The team will be accompanied by former association president Vance Stevens and long serving executive member Jennifer Hedges.

Medal hunters: Members of Bermuda's cycling team to go to the World B Championships line up (from left) Steve Millington, Mike Lee, Melanie Claude, Julia Hawley, manager Jennifer Hedges, Steve Sterritt and manager Vance Stevens.