Kaden Hopkins is lining up against some of the best cyclists from Central and South America at the Vuelta a la Independencia Nacional in Dominican Republic.

The seven-stage event, which started on Monday, is a Union Cycliste Internationale 2.2 Level competition and includes national and continental teams.

Hopkins is representing a composite Caribbean outfit, which is being supported by the Pan American Sports Organisation, along with riders from Puerto Rico, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba and St Vincent.

Speaking to The Royal Gazette yesterday, Hopkins said he was encouraged by his displays in the opening two stages of the 930-kilometre competition.

“I’m not expecting any top-of-the-pack finshes as the competition is super high,” said the 18-year-old. “I cramped up with about 20 miles left [in the first race], but got through after eating a bunch.

“On the last lap, I ended up catching a lot of the guys who I got dropped by. That put me in 82nd place, eight minutes behind the leader.

“Today [yesterday] there were a load of crashes, so I may move up in the general classification depending on if those guys were in front of me. I just tried to sit in and rest from the first day because we have a really big stage tomorrow [today]; it’s a circuit race.”

Hopkins said the miles he has clocked at high altitude in Colorado while training for Fort Lewis College in Durango had helped him prepare for his first race of the year.

“I’ve been in Colorado in school for the past six months, up at elevation, so that’s obviously helped the training a lot,” he said.

“When Peter [Dunne, the Bermuda Bicycle Association president] called me and asked if I wanted to come to this event, I knew I was in shape for it.”