Cyclists Liana De Medeiros and Panzy Olander are heading to Vermont to compete in the Green Mountain Stage Race in Vermont over the Labour Day weekend.

The pair are fresh off podium finishes in the Bermuda Bicycle Association Individual Time-Trial on Sunday, with De Medeiros emerging as the fastest woman followed by Olander in second.

De Medeiros, who is also competing for the first time in the United States, cannot wait to put her skills to the test at this level.

“I am excited to be headed overseas to race in Vermont as it will be my first time competing in the US,” she told The Royal Gazette.

“I have competed at both junior and elite Caribbean Championships, which consist of a time-trial and a road race, but I am excited to experience my first multi-day stage race. It will definitely be a challenging race with lots of steep climbs, which we don’t have in Bermuda.

“I believe competing at Green Mountain will be a great learning experience and a great way to end my summer training before I head back to university in Toronto.”

Olander is equally as thrilled to make her first appearance in the multi-day stage event.

“I’m pretty excited and a bit nervous as it is my first stage race,” she said.

“I am pretty much going to pace myself for the first three days and save everything for the last stage, the criterium.

“It’s great to have a group of us going. Liana is an amazing athlete and I have raced with her many times here in Bermuda, so it takes a bit of the stress away.

Daniel Ringer, 19, is the remaining member of the local contingent competing in the largest pro-am stage race in the United States.

This year’s event, which will again consist of a 5.7-mile time-trial, road races over 36.8 miles and 64.3 miles, and a criterium, will be held from Friday to Monday.