Veteran cyclist Jeff Payne has vowed to continue racing after last Sunday's spill at the National Road Race Championships that saw him taken to hospital by ambulance.

One of Bermuda's fiercest competitors, formerly as a road runner and now as a cyclist, the 59 year-old rider says he intends to persevere in the sport for a while yet -- in fact, as long as he continues to enjoy racing.

"I was sort of discouraged because this fall was my third in just under a month. But I'm not going to stop riding. However, I am going to change my approach a little bit,'' said Payne this week.

"In future during a mass start race, when it is raining and I am in a bunch, I am dropping out because you just don't bounce as well when you are 60 years old as you do when you are 20.

"The young guys bounce back up and carry on but I sort of crawl to the side of the road and take care of myself.'' That's what happened on Sunday. The slippery road led to Payne's downfall as he miscalculated a turn and added to his road rash collection by taking yet another spill.

But this fall was unlike two others he has experienced recently when riders in front of him went down and in attempt to avoid them he followed suit.

"This time I just slid out and I suppose it's my own fault. It wasn't anybody else's, I just took the wrong line, I guess. I just don't know. One minute you are up and the next you are on the ground, it's a shame,'' he said.

"I am aching right now, I really landed hard but fortunately I didn't break any ribs ... but they sure the heck are bruised. I have road rash on my elbows, shoulders, hip and knees and on the other side, from falling in Cuba.

"I have bruising from one hip around to my spine and a lot of residual stiffness from the bruising.'' This all means that Payne will not be sticking with plans to race in a three-day road event in Canada next week, deciding instead to take it easy for a while and prepare for a trip to France where he will watch the Tour De France and take what he decsribes as "gentle rides'' with friends.

Last week's race marked the end of the Bermuda Bicycle Association's season and Payne will now have time to rest in order to prepare for September when the new season starts.

"I will probably ride by the weekend, but only gently. When I come back from France I will then concentrate on the time trials for the rest of the summer season,'' he said.

Payne makes it clear he hasn't been discouraged despite previous falls during the Small Nations World Championships in Cuba and the May 24 Heritage race.

He says "it comes with the territory'' of racing, pointing out that professionals in Europe and the United States, though they ride at a much faster pace, encounter the same difficulties.

"There are things like this you have to expect from cycling I'm afraid and I have always been prepared ... I don't fall off that often. I guess you can say that I have had a bad run over the past few weeks though,'' he quipped.

The most serious fall was in Cuba when a youngster from Aruba went down and Payne and three others followed. His helmet was split but he was again fortunate to come away without serious injury.

Payne scoffed at the thought of throwing in the towel.

"The moment it is not fun then I am stopping. The natural progression is as you get older you get less competitive and you ride more for peer pressure. I train but I get a lot of pleasure out of just riding my bike. I don't have to be going fast to get the pleasure, I get the joy just out of riding,'' he said.

"I certainly am not considering packing up at this stage. There is a lot of satisfaction out of getting the old heart rate and lungs working hard when you are out there riding and enjoying it.''