attaining professional status, having just completed a rigorous two weeks of racing against tough international amateur competition.

Last Thursday Hubbard placed 11th in the Grand Prix de Pernes les Fontaines, a gruelling 154 kilometre trek. He has also had numerous other results in the top 10 and 20, including a fourth at the Grand Prix de Sollies.

He is currently preparing, along with his team-mates on the Mimosa Sprint Mandelieu, for next week's Inter-regional Championships in Cote d'Azur, which serves as a qualifier for the French Championships.

"I'm definitely riding stronger than ever,'' said Hubbard from his base in southern France yesterday. "I'm doing tougher races with more classics and internationals rather than the regionals and everything has stepped up a level.

"So, overall things are coming along pretty good and I'm hoping to get even stronger by the end of the season. And I also have the World Amateur Championships to look forward to later in the year in Colombia.'' As a first category amateur, Hubbard is on the threshold of becoming a fully-fledged professional and is optimistic of his chances of doing exactly that following the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

However, all will depend on whether or not he is recruited by a professional outfit, something Hubbard noted was far from certain.

"It all depends on making the contacts necessary,'' he said. "It's a matter of me riding strong enough to be scouted by a pro team and then be recruited.

"And me not being French doesn't make it any easier as teams tend to be very patriotic.'' The Island's other overseas cyclist, reigning Heritage Cycle Race champion MacInnis Looby did not enjoy such good fortune while competing in the 80 mile Mount Hamilton Challenge in California on Sunday.

Looby placed 38th out of 43 riders and admitted that his time in Bermuda over the holiday period had hindered his ability to ride effectively.

After reaching the top of the 18 mile initial climb the 25-year-old was a spent force and had to battle just to finish.

"I rode myself into the ground staying with the group going up the hill and hit the wall,'' explained Looby. "It told me that I obviously can climb with the best, but I didn't have anything afterwards and people just went past me...I was toast.'' Next up for Looby will be a five stage race in New Mexico at the end of the month.

Elliot Hubbard