An intriguing battle is expected between Kaden Hopkins, Conor White and Dominique Mayho for Sunday’s CG Insurance National Road Race Championships at Clearwater Beach as the trio top the list of contenders for Tyler Smith’s vacant title.

Smith, a surprise winner last year, won’t be returning from overseas, leaving Hopkins, White and Mayho to try again for the title that Smith denied them last year.

Rose-Anna Hoey is the women’s defending champion and she will be looking to defend another title after holding on to her Bermuda Day Half-Marathon crown last month. Her main challenge could come from Nicole Mitchell who won last weekend’s Bermuda National Time Trial title.

Hopkins will also be looking to add the road race title to his time trial win last weekend after returning from Spain for the two big races on the calendar.

Peter Dunne, the Bermuda Bicycle Association president, is expecting another keen battle for the men’s title.

“I’m excited about it, having Kaden and Conor here, two guys who are racing at a very high international level, even made the time trial exciting,” Dunne said after last weekend’s event.

The race will take the competitors off the old Naval Base and up to the Swizzle Inn roundabout and back.

“The road race should be really good, Dominique is going to race but the defending champion, Tyler Smith, is obviously away competing in triathlons,” Dunne added. “If the weather is good it should be very exciting, same thing with the women’s race. We don’t know if Caitlin [Conyers] is going to be back, she is racing in the US right now and she’s having very positive experiences in her racing.

“She is getting back the intensity, which is good and carries a lot of value as he racing begins to open up further.”

Some of those who missed the time trial are expected to come out for the road race and make the categories more competitive.

“It’s a different event, different structure and you know who the strong guys are,” Dunne said. “People are eager to get back to, not just this sport but lots of sports, which is good. I think we’ll have a good turnout, the community seems to be behaving well and the curfew got lifted last night.

“Sport is good therapy for a lot of people. By the current standards, being outdoors is considered to be safe.”

Registration for the race is open until this evening. Racing starts at 8am.

Next week will see the rescheduled Winners Edge National Mountain Bike Championships taking place at Ferry Reach.