Former Olympian Graeme Miller will be butting heads with the best cyclists on the Island when he races in this weekend's IBC Front Street Cycle Races.

Miller, who competed at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984, Seoul in 1988, and Barcelona in 1992, now resides in Bermuda, and will go head-to-head with local leading lights Garth Thompson and Mark Hatherley in Sunday's race.

And having already ridden against most of his competitors since moving to the Island, the 48-year-old is keen to put his training to the test.

"I did the CD&P race last year," said Miller.

"My preparation for the races hasn't been too bad, I've been preparing with my team-mates for the race.

"Most of the guys I'm riding with are guys that have never raced before, so with my experience I'm teaching them the ropes really.

"It's a very hard race. I've done the grand prix here in 1999 or 2000 and we did the same course as part of the race and all I remember is that it hurt a lot.

"I'm just hoping that I've done enough training, the course is hard and more about attrition then anything else.

"So it's just a matter of finishing."

A former New Zealand national champion, Miller is arguably his country's best known cyclist and also collected two Commonwealth Games titles.

He boasts more than 200 wins as a professional during a racing career that spanned 22 years.

Miller recently competed in a few of the Conrad's Mountain Bike Series races and believes those who were involved on Sunday will have a preparation advantage, considering the focus used on the mountain bike is very similiar.

Although he has a wealth of experience, Miller was quick to point out his favourites in the race and what will be needed to get to the line first.

"Doing the mountain biking series was a help although I only did half of the series.

"I think that the people who did the mountain bike series will definitely have a fitness advantage of the others because all of those were of the similar distance.

"There will be the same amount of hurt in the race on Sunday as there was in the mountain biking.

"Those guys will be very well prepared.

"I have a lot of experience but also retired in 2002 with a serious back injury, and had four operations on my back.

"I hadn't ridden my bike until I arrived here nine months ago.

"The people to watch out for are Garth Thompson, Mark Hatherley and Arthur Pitcher Jr. and a few other riders who are really fit at the moment. I think it is going to be a good battle.

"Everyone has been training quite hard on Saturday mornings and it will be interesting to see how the training pays off.

Sunday's event takes place at the flag pole on Front Street at 8 a.m.