Joining the growing list of local cyclists competing internationally, veterans Whayman Butterfield and Mike Lee travel to Florida tomorrow to compete in the Florida State Criterium Championships to be staged in Port Orange on Sunday.

Both riders, are no strangers to international competition and Butterfield was confident that he and Lee could handle what is renowned to be a tough technical course around a short spectator friendly setting in front of the town's administration building.

“I am going to do the 40-plus race in the morning and the top pro one, two event in the afternoon,” he said.

The morning's race will be over a 30 minute plus five lap course and acknowledging that the racing was expected to be fast and furious he said with a smile: “If you want to get better then you have to put yourself under that exposure.”

Also racing at the weekend in the 90 minute plus five lap, pro one, two event will be Florida-based Bermuda National Squad rider Wayne Scott. Scott placed 29th in a field of 110 three weeks ago in a National Race Calendar event, against many of the top professional riders in the State.

Criterium events have become something of a speciality for the Bermudian rider who finished in second place in category three in last year's Championships.

The high speed, nerve racking events suit his powerful and fearless riding style.

However, even he shows respect for Sunday's course.

“The course is right in front of the Port Orange Administration building and its very technical,” he said. “It's only about .6 of a mile, and the racing is absolutely crazy.

“Everyone gets strung out in a line and coming out of the turns there are always crashes every year.”

Having said that he relishes this weekend's race.

“I am concentrating on the pro one, two race,” he said. “I was going to do the 30 plus in the morning but want to save everything for the afternoon.”

It is that event that Butterfield says Lee will be concentrating on but says he is still working on him to do both events.

“Mike is more or less concentrating on the second race in the afternoon the pro one, two race, but I think I can pull his leg to do both of them,” he said.

Butterfield says this weekend's race is all part of his preparation for what is deemed by most local riders as the premier event in Bermuda, the Sinclair Packwood Memorial Road race on Heritage Day.

“My training has been going well, my fitness is increasing, and I'm riding at a higher level,” he said. “It will definitely be a springboard towards May 24th.”

It is clearly an event that Butterfield has high on his list of priorities.

“It is a major event for riders locally and everyone wants to do well,” he said. “And some of us like to do exceptionally well, so I think this will be an opportunity for me to get back into the event. I have been off the bike for two years and I'm looking to be prepared.”

However, the 1994 winner of the event would not be drawn on a favourite for this year saying instead: “It all comes down to the day of the event, what I will say is that the strongest man will win on that day.”

Overseas, Belgian Rik Verbrugghe held on to his early lead in the Tour of Romandie despite finishing only 20th behind Italy's Giovanni Lombardi in yesterday's 187-kilometre first stage.

Verbrugghe, winner of Tuesday's prologue has a one-second lead over home favourite Alexandre Moos of the Phonak team, who finished the mountainous stage in 23rd.

Italian Eddy Mazzoleni is one second further back in the overall standings for the Tacconi Sport team. Pre-event favourite Dario Frigo remained in sixth place six seconds behind Moos.