Kaden Hopkins insists he has not taken his foot off the pedal during the Covid-19 pandemic and is pushing himself harder than ever as he builds towards the UCI Road World Championships.

Hopkins returned to competitive action last weekend in the Bermuda Bicycle Association’s first event of the year after the season was put on hold because of the novel coronavirus.

He retained his title in the VT Construction Individual Time-Trial in comfortable fashion and said he was relieved to finally dust off some competitive cobwebs, having been restricted to clocking up the miles on Bermuda’s roads during the past few months.

“Everyone has been out training really hard but no one has been racing and testing their legs or anything like that [because of the Covid-19 restrictions],” Hopkins said.

“There was nothing to judge it off so it was a case of going out there and just testing the form.

“There were a lot of strong guys out there. It was just nice to be out racing again.”

Hopkins, who was named the BBA Male Rider of the Year for 2019, hopes to receive an invite to the World Championships in Aigle-Martigny, Switzerland, from September 20 to 27.

The 20-year-old’s only experience at the world level came as a junior when he and Matthew Oliveira raced in the junior category at the World Championships in Bergen, Norway, in 2017.

“Like all of the events, it’s a maybe event,” Hopkins added. “Hopefully if we get some spots at the World Championships we can make it over there.

“Riders get invited based on UCI points; however, in Bermuda we don’t really have any UCI races where you can get those points.

“From what I know you don’t have to qualify for the time-trial race.

“I know Peter [Dunne, the Bermuda Bicycle Association president] will be e-mailing back and forth with the UCI to see if we can get some spots for Bermudians.”

Hopkins, who attends Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, added: “I’ve been hoping to go to the worlds all year. A lot of my training has been focused on that and just building on the base I have and trying to ramp up some intensity to it.

“I’ve done 10,500 miles already this year; I’m only 600 miles away from what I did in total last year. I’m really motivated this year and just trying to push myself further than I ever have before.

“Hopefully I will be in the best shape I’ve ever been when September rolls around.”