toughest races in the US.

The five-day Killington Stage Race, beginning Thursday in Vermont, will find Bermuda's Kri Hedgews, Trevor Hedges and Steve Sterritt joining several top US and European riders on the start line.

With a total of 17,000 feet of climbing for the professional riders and 11,000 for the amateur field, the 350-mile race has been nicknamed the Beast of the East.

But Sterritt has already tamed the beast once and the native of Ireland figures to benefit from his previous experience, particularly after having already sampled the first day mountain time trial of 3.4 miles.

A good showing on the shortest event of the five days is vital to an overall good result, said Sterritt, who won the Bermuda Road Race Championship this year and was the top local rider in the Bermuda Grand Prix.

His wealth of international experience -- he's already raced in Isle of Man Race Week and Tour of the North in Ireland this year -- should help the Hedges brothers.

Kris, 17, has spent the past month undergoing intensive training in Boulder, Colorado, and in Massachusetts in preparation for the Junior World Championships in October. Competing in the Junior I catgery in Killington, Hedges won the best climber award at the Boulder camp and his performance in the past few weeks indicates he is in top form, his coach, Greg Hopkins, said.

His older brother, Trevor, fresh from school in England, has had only six weeks preparation for the event but has made the most of the time.

He attended a local training camp under French coach Michaels Ducas, as well as the Colorado camp. Tyler Butterfield and Jonathan Herring also were in Colorado, under the supervision of of former professional rider Davis Phinney.