His French coach identified him as potential world class.

At the Commonwealth Games yesterday, Tyler Butterfield sent the same message to those already included in that elite bracket.

In a sensational ride, the 22-year-old, who competed at the last Games in Manchester as a triathlete, came within seconds of snaring what would have been Bermuda?s first medal since tenpin bowlers Antoine Jones and Conrad Lister stood on the podium eight years ago.

Official results of the men?s road race showed the France-based Vendee-U rider in 11th place, a statistic which tells just half the story.

On a blistering hot day in which less than a third of the field were left in the saddle at the end of 166 gruelling kilometres, the young Bermudian?s performance had to be seen to be believed ? reminiscent in many ways of now-retired professional Elliot Hubbard who first put Bermuda on the map in top level cycling.

After more than four hours on the road, Butterfield entered the last of 15 loops around the Royal Botanical Gardens still in the thick of medal contention.

And when the race for home entered its final, frantic stages, he was still in the hunt.

Ultimately, the strength of big Australian Mathew Hayman, cheered on by a home crowd of thousands lining the roadside, prevailed with South African David George claiming the silver and another Aussie, pre-race favourite Allan Davis, the bronze.

But that trio, all of them seasoned riders with overseas professional teams, needed only to look over their shoulders to see a pack of ten, Butterfield included, in hot pursuit.

Given the same time as fifth-placed rider, Gordon Fraser of Canada ? four hours, five minutes and 47 seconds ? Butterfield was a mere 26 seconds out of third place, and just 38 seconds behind winner Hayman.

It was a mighty impressive performance on a tight, hilly course in which the peloton averaged an incredible 41 kilometres per hour.

Hardly surprising then, that under rules which dictate that riders be taken off the course if lapped, just 35 in a starting field of 125 survived.

Among the casualties was Bermuda?s other rider, Geri Mewett, although in a furiously fast race, he fared better than most, eventually succumbing on the ninth of 15 laps.

The stage was set on the very first lap when Scotsman Duncan Urquhart led the field through the first 11 kilometres in just over 15 minutes, some four and a half minutes faster than the opening loop of the women?s race earlier in the day. And for the next four hours the pace was relentless.

After just four laps, 15 riders had been lapped. By ten laps the field had been carved in half, just 56 remaining. And by the finish there were only 35.

But despite the sprint finale, Butterfield appeared relatively fresh as he climbed off his bike, smiling from ear to ear.

?The first five laps and the last five laps were the hardest, the middle part I was just cruising,? he said.

?The thing is with so many different countries competing, there?s so much stress. With 12 laps left you?d get guys cursing each other and yelling.

?When you race week in, week out in Belgium or France, you get to know the guys and you?re talking, there?s no stress until the last 20K. But over here no-one knows who to follow, how they ride, and you end up bumping into people. In a normal race, you say sorry and you laugh about it. Here everybody?s watching you and pushing you back.

?So it was different but it was an awesome race and I?m pleased.

?The Australians just sat on the front (of the peloton) and although it?s a disadvantage to just have two riders as we did, it helped in that I didn?t have to work at all. I could sit back and let the big teams do all the work.?

Asked whether he?d seen himself as a medal contender entering the final lap, Butterfield laughed off the suggestion.

?No, not a chance,? he grinned. ?I was just really happy to finish where I did.?

And compared to his triathlon performance at the Manchester Games?

?It?s hard to compare,? he said. ?Manchester was cool, I loved it. And same here, it?s been pretty awesome . . . a great two weeks.

?In four years I?d like to try it again. Cycling?s easier than triathlon, particularly the training. Some of the boys in France are surprised how I don?t train in cycling. You have to train to get ahead and win Tour races, but to win one-day races you can just race every weekend.

?I enjoy the life and I want to live it as long as I can.?

Bermuda cycling coach Greg Hopkins, who travelled to major Games during the height of Hubbard?s career, said he was loathe to compare the two.

?The thing is Tyler is so new at this, relatively speaking. He?s only in his second year, having made the transition from triathlon.

?As you heard, he?s very good at playing himself down, which is a good thing.

?But don?t be fooled, the potential that exists is without bounds. His coach in France has said that if he wants it enough, it?s there.

?You only had to look at his face when this race got so, so hard, which it did today. He has what it takes. He knows it, it?s just a matter of time, progressively putting in better results and if you look at this race and look at the riders who finished today, and how many got taken out, it?s amazing.

?Tyler was sprinting at the finish, he wasn?t just coasting in.?

Hopkins also had praise for Mewett who had ridden side by side with his team-mate during the opening 70 kilometres before eventually wilting.

?Geri rode exceptionally well,? said the coach. ?He was right there with Tyler and the leaders for eight or so laps. And you?ve got to remember the first lap was mind blowing. There was no easing into this race.

?So Geri has to be commended for his performance. He?s a big guy and on the flat he?s a powerhouse, but those short, sharp climbs was where he was having to fight to stay on, and it had an accumulative effect as the race went on.

?I know he?s disappointed but I think when he sits down and looks back, he?ll realise he did exceptionally well, especially when he sees just how many riders were dropped before him.

?And then there was Julia this morning ... 42 years-old, a mother of two, she did brilliantly. I think Bermuda can be very proud of what our cyclists have done at these Games.?