Some of Bermuda’s brightest cycling talents are back on island and ready to battle in the National Championships and for one rider it is a chance of redemption.

Kaden Hopkins was disappointed with his performance when runner-up to Conor white last year but is back this time around and determined to produce his best in the time-trial, which starts at 6pm on Thursday, and the road race on Sunday.

“I feel good and I am definitely in better shape than I was last year,” Hopkins said.

“That was a low point in my season. I had just done a ton of racing and I was really tired. After Nationals I took quite a good break from racing to reset and find myself again, but this year I’m coming into it in good shape and I’m looking forward to it.

Hopkins, 23, is again expecting a big challenge from White on a technical course and, while he is going to give the time-trial his all, his main goal is victory in the road race.

“It’s an interesting time-trial course that we do here,” Hopkins said

“It’s very technical compared with overseas. It’s difficult, but I’ve had success before and I’m in good shape and I’m looking forward to it.

“It’s an individual event and it’s different from the road race as there isn’t really any tactics involved or any direct competition in terms of the racing.

“You just go out there and do everything that you are capable of. I know Conor is strong and a really good time trialist, while the younger guys are coming up and are all riding well, so I think It will be a close race.

“When I was younger, I feel like I always used to target the time-trials because I was always good at them and in the road race there was also a lot more up in the air because you can have mechanical issues and crashes.

“You can also ride too aggressively and waste energy and that came back to bite me a lot in the last years, just trying to ride too ambitiously. This year, I feel like I’ve really been able to change my mindset in the way that I race and be a lot more patient and race more maturely, so this year I’ll be targeting both races but my main goal will be the road race.“

Hopkins has been national time-trial champion in 2020 and 2021 and is proud to have held the title.

““Everybody wants to be a national champion,” Hopkins said “

When you win you get to have a special jersey with whatever your team is and you get to have the flag embroidered across the front of it so it’s special, especially when you are racing overseas and representing the island.

“I would definitely be disappointed not to win either race this week but that disappointment is there in every race. If you think you have a chance of winning and you are not able to pull it off, it’s always disappointing.

There has not been too much disappointment for Hopkins this year as he races for new team Vendee U, while he also picked up a bronze medal for Bermuda in the time-trial at the Pan American Cycling Championships, and the young rider is thrilled at what he has learnt in France

“The team that I’m on now is incredible,” Hopkins said.

I couldn’t really ask for much better support. In terms of material, coaching and nutritional advice, It’s been fantastic. I had high expectations going over there but they have been met and passed. I’m really happy.

“I was expecting to play a supporting role for a lot of the first part of the season because everywhere you race in the world there is different tactics, there is different racing styles.

“For the first few races, I had no ambition for myself, I was just trying to listen to team instructions and get the hang of racing over there, but pretty soon after my first five or six races, I was given more of a leadership role, whether it was trying to keep the team together or making sure everyone was riding well or being given the opportunity to ride for my own result.

“The Pan Am Championships result was obviously a highlight and then I won a stage in the Boucle de l’Artois and finished top ten in the other ones and second in the overall classification. That was probably my best personal result of the year but then I’ve also been a supporting team-mate and there has been a lot of achievement there.”