Just how badly Melanie Claude wanted to win the Coupe Des Ameriques stage race in Quebec, Canada, over the weekend was demonstrated on the first of four stages on Friday evening when a setback in the hill climb robbed her of the early lead. While in hot pursuit of US veteran Jamie Nicholson (in another category) on the final hill of the climb, Claude's foot slipped out of the pedal and forced her to stop.

But typical of her dogged determination, Bermuda's top female cyclist got back on the saddle and set about reeling in the riders who had passed her on the 13 kilometre climb.

Back in the race Claude had her work cut out, trying to get back into contention. But not only did she catch the pack, she passed them one by one until 100 metres from the finish line she blew past Nicholson to win by a six-second margin.

"It was all guts and glory on that one, I'm afraid,'' said Claude yesterday after returning to Bermuda.

"I knew that it was very important to succeed on the first event in order to maintain good positioning in the other three stages. I knew that if I didn't succeed in that one my chances of being in the top three were very slim.'' That victory in the first stage gave Claude the yellow jersey which she held on to for the remainder of the weekend, despite victory by the Canadian national veteran champion, Chantal Lemieux, the following morning in the 9.5K time trial.

"She won it last year and was obviously the favourite this year and I was 10 seconds shy of beating her on that, so that's where my silver (medal) came,'' said Claude who still held a five-second lead.

Victories in the criterium and 75K road race gave Claude her first victory overseas and improved on her second place finish in this same event two years ago.

"The criterium is my strength because of Bermuda's terrain and because we are very technical here,'' explained the 37-year-old.

"This was a very technical course and with about five laps remaining I broke away along with the top vet in the older category. On day three was the road race and rolling hills was the best way to describe it.

"There were some hills that were higher than others but it was certainly a challenging course and a steady pace based on the fact that the two yellow jerseys -- myself and the older vet -- led the pack for the whole 75k distance.

"We decided around the last 10K to break away and go for the gold and that's what we did. She won her category and I won mine.'' Claude beat closest rival and last year's overall winner, American Maria Elena Collazo by 36 seconds and took overall honours in a combined time of 3:29.09 which was 51 seconds ahead of Lemieux. There were 10 riders from the US and Canada in Claude's category, though missing were the pair who finished first and second ahead of Claude in 1997.

Claude, who has been racing with the local men in Category Three this season, is seeing the benefits of riding at a higher level. She admits she is riding the best in her three-year career, now that she is also concentrating solely on cycling and no longer the triathlon.

"That was the rationale at the beginning of the year when it was time to register,'' she said.

"I approached the president to see if I could move from the female category to Category Three because my ultimate goal was to race overseas and perform at a decent level. Being challenged here has prepared me to race overseas.'' Now Claude has set her sights on the Killington Stage Race over the Labour Day weekend and then the World B Championships in Uruguay in November as part of a Bermuda team.

"If I can squeeze a few others in there I will do so,'' added Claude who, as a working mother of three, realises there are other commitments that have to take priority.

"I would like to increase my competition overseas, this is my second event, but it takes time and money. I have three children and work full-time.'' Hot wheels: Melanie Claude sets the pace during her victory in the weekend's Coupe Des Ameriques stage race in Quebec, Canada.