A small contingent of Bermuda’s cyclists secured a host of impressive results among a highly competitive field in the Armed Forces Cycling Classic in Arlington, Virginia, at the weekend.

Kicking off the region’s premier cycling event on Saturday competing in the men’s category 3-4 event, Liam Flannery executed a brilliant ride to clinch third place overall, while Alexander Miller narrowly missed out on the top ten, finishing in a highly respectable eleventh place from more than 100 riders.

The pair were joined by compatriot Nicholas Narraway the next day, with all three again claiming impressive placings in the stronger category 2-3 race. Narraway proved the top finisher of the Bermudian riders, in fourth, just two seconds adrift of the race winner, with Miller tenth place and Flannery thirteenth overall.

There was also a strong performance from Caitlin Conyers, who competed in the women’s pro 1-2 category across both days. Against a stellar field, Conyers secured a respectable 39th-place finish on Saturday before building on that to take 29th place in Sunday’s race.

Dominique Mayho, who accompanied the group in the United States alongside Peter Dunne, the Bermuda Bicycle Association president, hailed the group’s efforts in their first overseas competition since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The purpose of the trip was to get the boys racing again and to experience riding in a group of more than 100 riders,” Mayho said.

“The plan was for Nicolas, Alexander and Liam to be very aggressive in the races. They executed our plan really well and dominated both races throughout.

“For me it’s great to see these guys racing without fear and taking it to the more seasoned riders they were up against. Their results show how strong they were as a unit.

“Caitlin raced with the top US pro women In criterium racing. It was great to see her perform so well with such formidable competition.

“This was her first race since last March, so the weekend was mainly to gain experience at this sort of level. Her performances were great and I know she gained in confidence. This will benefit her going into major goals later in the year and beyond.”