impressive performance at the four-day stage Fitchburg Classic in Massachusetts.

Riding with his Washington- based team, Hubbard finished 16th overall out of 155 riders on accumulated time, after finishes of seventh, 24th and 21st in three of the events.

The competition, which ended Sunday, is one of the biggest in the United States, with a number of top professional teams taking part.

It started last Thursday with a 77.5 mile road race known as the Auduchon-Glidden Circuit, raced over a 3.1-mile loop.

Hubbard was seventh overall at the end of the 25 laps, just six seconds behind the winner Frank McCormack, who rides for the Saturn team. Hubbard was in a group of 16 involved in a sprint at the finish.

A 7.8-mile uphill time trial followed on Friday and Hubbard was 24th out of 155 competitors and he maintained his good form with a 21st-place finish in a 77-mile road race the following day.

That event was an 11-mile hilly course with 550 feet of climbing on each lap and an additional 650 feet of climbing on the final lap.

In a 45-mile criterium on Sunday, Hubbard finished in the main pack, 50 seconds behind the winner.

Hubbard has another event this weekend before travelling to Atlanta next Monday where he will meet coach Greg Hopkins, who flies out on Sunday. Hubbard is expected to be entered in the Olympic time trial as well as the 135-mile road race.

"This is a real positive thing for the Olympics,'' said Hopkins of Hubbard's weekend performance. "It shows that Elliot is in really good form. For him to stay with the top guys is very positive.'' Two other Bermuda riders also participated: Mike Lee, who failed to finish the first road race, effectively ruling himself out of the rest of the events, and Damien Wilson, who best finish was 126th in the road race, seven minutes and 11 seconds down on the leaders.