Gabriella Arnold belied her tender years as she grabbed bronze in the women’s road race in Jersey yesterday.

Arnold produced a text book performance to win a sprint finish, moving past Jersey pair Clare Treharne and Laura Chillingworth with 200m to go to finish in a time of 1hr, 43min, 11.050sec.

Karen Bordage took sixth in a fine display of riding that set the platform for Arnold’s success, and the pair combined to win silver in the team event after Zoenique Williams crashed out early and did not finish.

Kim Ashton of Jersey comfortably won gold in 1:38:50.296, with Elizabeth Holden, of Isle of Man, claiming the individual silver medal in 1:39:33.236.

In a race reduced to four laps from five because of temperatures that were hovering around the low 90s, Arnold and Bordage managed to attach themselves to the main group as Ashton and Holden broke away early.

Bordage led the chasing pack without much help from Treharne and Chillingworth, who were content to let Ashton extend her lead. The pack thinned out as the race went on, and Arnold did well to stay the course, successfully negotiating the tough 800m climb lap after lap.

The final lap was a straight fight between Jersey and Bermuda, with Bordage using her time trial skills to up the ante to an uncomfortable level as she drove to the finish. Arnold waited patiently until Treharne and Chillingworth made their move, stuck with them, and the outpaced them in a dash for the line.

Jersey took gold in the team event, with Guernsey taking bronze.

Earlier in the day the Bermuda men produced a valiant, but ultimately fruitless effort in their time trial, with Dominique Mayho the best place finisher in 20th in the 112km, eight-lap race in a time of 2:58:58.682.

Mihkel Raim of Saaremaa took gold in 2:51:19.581, with Nathan Draper from Isle of Man taking silver and Torkil Veyhe, of Faroe Islands, bronze.

Bermuda began the morning well, and hit the hill the first time near the front and watching closely.

On the second lap the race had split up, but Darren Glasford, Bermuda’s veteran road captain, riding in his ninth international competition, missed the move, leaving Mayho to escort Chequan Richardson, on his Games debut, through the remaining six laps. Richardson’s strength is climbing, and he handled the pace well for another two laps, but ultimately couldn’t stay with the flat landers in the repeated attacks along the long start/finish stretch.

Mayho, meanwhile, was covering attacks comfortably until a small break of six riders formed half way through the race.

Initially only ten seconds ahead, the group were not immediately hauled back by Mayho, five Guernsey riders and the 15-strong chase group, they were allowed to stay away, much to the Bermuda rider’s consternation.

“They needed to chase to place, which we were willing to help with,” Charles Dunstan, the Bermuda manager, said. “But, after more than a lap Guernsey weren’t making a move and Dom [Mayho] finally made a move that stuck to bridge up, with a slim hope that some others would follow. That didn’t happen.”

Mayho was nearly 1½ minutes behind the leaders at that point and while the crowd appreciated his lone charge it was a wasted effort. After nearly three laps on his own, two other riders caught him, overtook him and Mayho was eventually swallowed up the chasing pack.

Isle of Man won the team gold, with Saaremaa taking silver and Jersey bronze.

The majority of Bermuda’s cyclists have a rest day today, with Deshi Smith and Sarah Bonnett in action in the Mountain Bike Criterium.