Forget Miguel Indurain and Tony Rominger, here comes Bermuda's own Elliot Hubbard, and with a fury.

In a four-day spell, starting last Thursday, Hubbard's pedal power made his opponents in France sit up and take notice.

And while comparisons to cycling greats such as Indurain and Rominger may be somewhat premature -- Indurain is the reigning Tour de France champion and regarded as the world's premier cyclist, while Rominger recently captured the Tour of Italy title -- Hubbard certainly appears a star in the making.

The 21-year-old captured his first victory of the season last Thursday night and followed up that performance with a third place finish on Sunday, both against quality fields.

Particularly pleasing to Hubbard was been his improvement in the sprint phase which aided greatly in Thursday's triumph at The Exhibition Piste-Star in Cann-Labocca.

Racing in a velodrome on a one kilometre banked oval track, Hubbard beat off the challenge of 84 other starters, including ex-Toulon team-mate Oliver Trastour.

Hubbard, Trastour and a third rider broke away from the pack after 30 kilometres of the 50 kilometre race and opened up a half-lap lead, while travelling at an average speed of 30 mph.

The trio stayed together until the final lap, when Hubbard exploded into the final sprint that resulted in him edging Trastour by less than a bike length.

Yesterday a thankful Hubbard said he was more relieved than anything at winning the event and was hopeful of many more such triumphs.

"For my morale that was a great boost,'' said Hubbard, who collected 1,500 francs ($304) for his efforts. "I feel my form coming around now and the win was more or less a feeling of relief than anything, with the season being so hectic and taxing both physically and mentally.

"Once you get that first victory it takes pressure off you and helps to build confidence. Plus for me to win in a sprint is even more encouraging because I don't consider that one of my strong points.'' However, Hubbard has been spending a lot of time recently shoring up that aspect of his sport and he's now beginning to reap greater rewards as a result of the hard work.

Not ready to rest on his laurels, Hubbard was back on the road Sunday, competing for the Mimosa Sprint Mandelieu team among 120 riders in the mountainous 155 kilometre Prix St. Laurent Du Var containing two climbs with a maximum elevation in excess of 2,500 metres (8,202 feet).

And the Bermudian did not disappoint, placing third overall following another furious dash to the finish line behind two riders representing the Toulon and AIX teams.

Again Hubbard was involved in an early break, he and six others separating from the pelaton during the second steep climb and extending to a lead of nearly three minutes, one they never relinquished.

"I was just pleased that I made it to the finish in the pack,'' said a modest Hubbard. "I was feeling confident from the start as with the tough climbs the course was to my liking and I knew I would be able to stay with the top riders.

"I just went out and rode a smart, tactical race. My form is still coming, I'm not peaking yet, I'm almost there but there's always room for improvement.'' More wins could be on the agenda with Hubbard taking a break from inter-regional competition for the next few weeks, instead focusing on races within the Cote d'Azur region with an eye on reaching top form by the time the World Amateur Championships in Colombia roll around in October.

ELLIOT HUBBARD -- making his presence felt in France.