The Bermuda Bicycle Association (BBA)may be forced to hold negotiations with both the Police and the Corporation of Hamilton in a bid to find a home base for next year.

Such moves will be necessary if the association fails in its attempts to retain the facilities at the former US Naval Air Station.

BBA president Jeff Payne yesterday confirmed that finding a venue for next year's races was the association's top priority. He expressed hope that ongoing talks with Finance Minister Grant Gibbons and his technical team would be successful.

"We are really hopeful that we can get the use of a road surface on one of the Bases, and from the meetings that I have had with both the Minister and his technical people there is an indication that they support the idea,'' said Payne.

Should efforts to retain use of the Base lands fail, however, the president said the only alternative would be to approach the Police and the Corporation of Hamilton for additional use of the public roads for races.

Thus far, permission has been granted to use the public roads for three events -- the May 24th Road Race from Somerset to Hamilton, the Around the Town Race in the spring and the Grand Prix Race.

"That's really our only alternative, there is nothing more we could hope for other than to seek to enlarge our use of the public roads. I don't know what response we will get, but we can't use the beaches and we can't use the sea,'' said Payne.

"We don't impact hard on the roads. A bike and its wheels don't wear anything out and we don't really impinge on anyone. So we will just have to wait and see what happens.'' The association feels that the lack of availability of a venue like the Base could lead to a drop in membership. It has therefore put the matter at the top of its agenda going into the new year.

More than 20 races were staged during the recently completed season. The most outstanding event of the year was the three-day, four-event Bermuda Grand Prix which attracted a number of overseas entries.

In addition to the races the association also sent a number of its junior riders to England to a top training camp where they received coaching in all aspects of the sport.

In a further effort to improve the sport locally, and with the assistance of the Department of Youth Sport and Recreation, a top English coach was brought to the Island to conduct an intensive week-long course for instructors and as a consequence eight locals were able to qualify for their coaching certificates.

At the annual prize giving recently, Mike Lee was awarded the prize for claiming the most points for the season while newcomer Peter Shrubb was named the Most Improved Rider.

Other winners were: National Championships Road Race -- Carlos Sequeros; National Time Trial -- Greg Hopkins; May 24th Road Race -- MacInnes Looby; Front Street Road Race -- Damion Wilson; Bermuda Grand Prix -- Greg Hopkins; Time Trial Series -- Greg Hopkins.

Outstanding junior riders were Duncan Simons and Kris Hedges; outstanding female riders were Melanie Claude and Shona Palmer; outstanding novice was Greg Battersbee and outstanding veterans were Richard Mason and Martin Bolton.

The membership showed its confidence in the executive by re-electing all the officers. They are: president Jeff Payne; vice president Sinclair Packwood; secretary Linda Dillon; treasurer Richard Mason; road captain Vance Stevens; time trial co-ordinator Jennifer Hedges and PRO Greg Hopkins.