Arthur Pitcher's decision to end his cricket career in favour of cycling has paid off – the former Cup Match bowler will represent Bermuda at the Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships in Barbados next month.

Pitcher will be part of a seven-strong team led by Geri Mewett, a former Commonwealth Games cyclist and semi-pro rider based in the US, which also includes other debutants Chris Faria, Mark Hatherley and triathlete Flora Duffy.

The squad is completed by Garth Thomson, with Deanna Thomson, the defending time trial champion and silver medallist in the road race from last year's competition in St. Vincent, the other member of the two-strong women's team.

For Pitcher his inclusion completely justifies his decision to quit cricket, and although he contemplated a comeback mid-way through the season, he is delighted to be travelling to Barbados.

"I'm excited, when I got the e-mail (telling me I was in), I got really excited," he said. "I read the paper in the morning and it said the team was going to be selected and I knew I had a good chance (of making the team), but I was only 80 percent sure. But once I saw my name on my e-mail I was really excited.

"I put my all into whatever I do, and you only get out what you put in, and I either go hard or don't go at all, it's been all or nothing.

"When I saw my brother playing Cup Match I felt the urge to come back and play, but I went training the week following Cup Match and I got completely discouraged so I didn't even bother with it any more."

Having only recently devoted himself to the sport full-time, Pitcher has no expectations for the event other than to get some first hand experience of competing at an elite level.

"It's just a month away. Garth Thomson has contacted everybody and we are going to be doing some pretty hard training," said Pitcher. "Whatever Garth has planned for us is what we will be doing, but he'll be a good person to coach us. He's one of Bermuda's top riders, so why not have him coach us.

"I'm just going to go down there and do my best, you can't ask for anything more. This will be my first time travelling to ride in a different country, it's something I have really always wanted to do, and I'm just happy that I have the opportunity to go."

While Pitcher is going for the experience, Bermuda's medal hopes rest squarely on the shoulders of Mewett, Garth Thomson and Deanna Thomson.

"The team is basically split into performance and development," said Bermuda Bicycle Association president Peter Dunne. "Garth, Geri and Dee have been to this competition for several years and have figured in the results.

"Dee is certainly the strongest woman at the competition, unless someone new pops up out of nowhere. Last year she won the time trial and was second in the road race, and as her time trials are getting even stronger she should do very well.

"Garth is not only the fastest in time trials locally but has continued to break course records here, last year he was third and he could move up.

"Geri is our team captain and the most experienced road racer on the squad. In prior years it has been his job to assist others, but this year he is our main chance for success in the men's road race and the rest of the guys will be there to assist in the early parts of the race and learn from the experience."

For Dunne the balance of the squad represents the association's aims of not only expanding the sport, but of creating a group of riders who can be competitive at a higher international level than that they would find at home.

"In Garth, Geri and Dee we have three athletes who are familiar with the competition and, given the right circumstances, could appear on the podium," he said.

"For Flora, Mark, Arthur and Chris, this will be an opportunity to experience a higher level of competition than they can get in Bermuda.

"If things go well then it is a great motivator to take their cycling to a higher level. Next year is the CAC Games in Puerto Rico and it would be great to see Bermuda represented in cycling. In order to have a reasonable performance at CAC you must have experienced more high level racing and this starts with the CCC events."