Sports performance can improve with age, even beyond 35 -- Melanie Claude and Julia Hawley are living proof.

The two riders continue to raise the standard of women's cycling in Bermuda, despite the fact that Claude is 39 and Hawley 38.

Their latest success came at the prestigious Tour de Warsaw in Virginia at the weekend when both women recorded top-10 finishes in both the road race and the time trial.

Discipline in training, inspiration from each other as they train together and the input of their coach Greg Hopkins have all been factors in their continuing improvement.

Though team selection has not yet been made, the pair are virtual certainties to be Bermuda's female representatives at the World B Cycling Championships in Qinhuangdao, China, in June.

Claude finished third in Sunday's 13.6-mile time trial and was beaten only by two pro riders from the Snow Valley team, one of whom was US national duathlon champion Marjan Huiziag.

Her effort can only boost hopes that she can emulate her third place in the time trial at the 1999 World B Championships in Uruguay, when Claude became the first Bermudian woman to win a cycling medal at a major championships.

Claude also recovered remarkably well from an early crash which left her with a broken helmet and nearly four minutes adrift of the field to finish 10th in Saturday's 54-mile road race.

Hawley, who has also made her mark in local triathlon and road running over the years, continued her spectacular progress since she decided to concentrate on cycling with a eighth place in the road race and a sixth in the time trial.

"We're getting better with age,'' said Hawley. "I think it's because we're both very disciplined and focused and we feed well off each other.

"Both Melanie and I have entered cycling pretty late in the game, but I think having Greg (Hopkins) training with us works well. He knows what we have to do in training as we get older.

"Just focusing on one sport has been good for me as well. You can't be training for cycling, running and triathlon if you want to improve your cycling.'' There was no secret to getting faster with age, added Hawley, it was just a matter of hard work.

"We ride betwen 250 and 300 miles per week and we train together. There is a great rivalry between us,'' she said.

The inspirational camaraderie between the duo was exemplified at the weekend.

"Julia finished eighth in the road race and won some money. It was $23, so we went out for pizza to celebrate,'' quipped Claude.

"In the time trial, I won even more money -- $25. So we went out for pizza again, vegetarian pizza.'' Claude said Hopkins deserved much of the credit for her and Hawley's improvement.

"Greg has been our coach this year and he's been the driving force behind us,'' said Claude. "We've been following a strict regime as we wind up for the World B Championships.

"We were basically doing this (the Tour de Warsaw) as a test to see where we are and to get more experience for China, if selected.'' She added that she was hopeful of competing in another overseas event before the Worlds.

"We would like to enter another big event before then, but there doesn't seem to be much on in May,'' said Claude. "But we need the experience and if we can do it, we will.'' Coach Hopkins said Claude and Hawley were excellent students and he expected them to continue improving for some time yet.

"You could not ask for two better people to work with,'' said Hopkins. "I've been working with them since November, throughout the winter base training and they have been very responsive and they just absorb everything I can throw at them, such as training methods and advice.

"They are so motivated, they always give 110 percent and they train really well together. That is despite the fact that when it comes to an event, unless they are competing for Bermuda, they are fighting tooth and nail against each other.

"Over the last couple of years, these two have reached levels that have never been seen before from female cyclists in Bermuda.'' He cited an example of a 10-mile time trial this year, in which Hawley broke the course record and then Claude, following on a minute behind, promptly bettered it.

Hopkins did not believe that Claude and Hawley's progress would be hampered by their ages.

"Women cyclists can traditionally last a lot longer,'' said the coach.

"Women's cycling is not so cut-throat as men's, in which there is always someone new knocking at the door.

"Not that women's cycling is not of a high standard, but Jeannie Longo is still competitive well into her 40s.'' Julia Hawley: Top ten finish in both the road race and time trial at the weekend's Tour de Warsaw in Virginia.