A host of top overseas cycling stars made this year's Bermuda Grand Prix the biggest yet -- but organisers believe it will keep on growing.

Last week's four-day celebration of cycling attracted a field including stars from four of the five top teams in the US, as well as veterans of the Tour de France and gold medallists from major games.

But it is only over the past three years that the Grand Prix has mushroomed into a major event on the cycling calendar.

In 1996, Bermuda pro Elliot Hubbard won the overall title in an event dominated by his team at the time, Baltimore-based One Plus.

From then on, the event's star-pulling power exploded, as news of the Grand Prix spread by word of mouth among riders on the US pro tour.

Bermuda Bicycle Association president Greg Hopkins said: "This year was an overwhelming success in that we have attracted a much higher quality field.

"It bodes well for the future of the event -- the riders are talking among themselves and Bermuda has now become a location to come to.'' Feedback from the stars had also been encouraging. "I was speaking to Sean Yates and to Robbie Ventura and they love coming to the race and say they intend to come back next year if invited,'' added Hopkins.

"The riders were pleased with the course at Southside. I thought maybe they would think it didn't offer enough variety, but they thought it was a challenging course.'' Team Shaklee's Eric Wohlberg won the overall event, while Elliot Hubbard's Navigators team-mate Trent Klasna won the Thursday night curtain-raiser, the Conyers, Dill & Pearman Classic.

But it was the success of locals like Melanie Claude, who took the overall women's title, and Geri Mewett, who finished in the top 20 of the men's event, which had most impressed Hopkins.

Claude, 38, beat some of the top pros from the US to win in her first year concentrating solely on cycling.

"We knew she was capable of riding with girls of that quality, but she was under a lot of pressure to do well at home,'' said Hopkins.

"I'm sure Melanie will go from strength to strength. The age factor does not seem to be a factor.

"It was great that we managed to put together a strong women's field this year -- their races are just as exciting as the men's -- and we will continue to build on that.'' Mewett, who swam in the Olympics for Bermuda but is now concentrating on cycling, finished 18th overall, just 17 minutes behind winner Wohlberg over around five hours of racing.

"All of our guys rode really well,'' said Hopkins. "In the past, the field has included a lot of amateurs, but this year it was predominantly pros, so it was even more daunting for them.

"The local riders can easily get lost a bit in a field as strong as this, but all the national squad riders had an excellent Grand Prix.

"This is definitely the best year we have had as a group and it looks promising for the World B Championships in Uruguay in November when the competition will not be as strong as this.'' Hopkins added that changes were being considered for next year, after some riders failed to finish the 75-mile second stage on Saturday, but were allowed to start the final-stage criterium in Hamilton on Sunday, fresher than the leaders.

One of the options is for any riders not within 20 percent of the lead to be disallowed from starting the next stage.

Pedal power: Top professionals from the US and Europe made this year's cycling Grand Prix the best yet. And organisers believe it will become an even bigger event on the Island's sporting calendar.