Association (BBA) stage their annual Hill Climb Championship at the Southampton Princess, with reigning champion Elliot Hubbard off the Island.

Hubbard, who has won the event the past three years is presently attending a picture framing course in New York, and his absence will open the door for a tough battle between the rest of Bermuda's cyclists to stake claim for the title.

MacInnes Looby enters as favourite, having been runner-up to Hubbard the past two years. Looby has trained exclusively in the United States for much of the year. However, he will likely find this to be not an easy task as most of the leading, local-based competitors will be on the start line and hungry, having been starved of competition since the base closures in September brought their season to a premature halt.

Dana Henry, Tim Palmer and Damion Wilson will all be looking to steal the show away from Looby and not to be underestimated is Jeff Payne, the BBA president, who appears back at full fitness following a serious hip injury suffered early in the year.

The event is open to all age categories and public relations officer Greg Hopkins stressed that, although the event is a challenging one, it has been designed to be well within the capabilities of all cyclists from juniors to veterans.

The race starts at 9 a.m. on the northern side of the hotel.