Trial winner Kris Hedges returned home yesterday, with a goal of challenging for tomorrow's Road Race Championship at Southside, St. David's.

And with last year's champion Geri Mewitt not expected back, Hedges will enter as one of the favourites for the title as Bermuda's top cyclists compete over the gruelling 75-mile distance.

Hedges has been competing overseas while he attends Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and should prove a difficult obstacle for the likes of Steve Sterritt, Jeff Payne and Kent Richardson.

The Island's most in-form rider this year, Steve Millington, forms part of the four-man Winners Edge team with Hedges and has shown himself to be more than capable of taking the title.

Fresh off a recent victory at the National Time Trial Championships, top local female cyclist Melanie Claude is off to Europe to again link up with French team Etoile Conde sur Noireau.

The team are due to compete in the Female Tour of Brittany, which begin on June 29 with a 16 kilometre time trial during the morning and a 84 kilometre afternoon road race.

Following will be road races of 96 and 103 kilometres respectively, a 12.5 kilometre time trial and a 92 kilometre road race finale for a six stage total of 404 kilometres.

Claude will be looking to impress the Etoile coaching staff, who are eyeing the Tour of Brittany with a view towards selecting the strongest possible team for the prestigious Tour de France Feminin `Grande Boucle' later this summer.

The Bermudian has been gearing her training towards this very event, under the guidance of national coach Greg Hopkins.