contributed to Elliott Hubbard and several of his Cote d'Azur cycling team-mates falling victim to the course in Sunday's French National Championships.

Bermudian Hubbard was forced to drop out two-thirds of the way into the 135-kilometre race held in the small town of Martinee, near Brest. In fact he and seven members of his team withdrew within five kilometres of each other, leaving only two who were able to cover the entire distance.

The withdrawals left them with no shot at the team title and robbed Hubbard of any chance to move up in the individual points standings, this being the final series event -- for which they had trained since January.

After arriving late Friday evening both physically and mentally exhausted from the 17-hour drive, the 12-member team -- 10 riders and two officials -- emerged from a minibus crammed with equipment knowing that it would be a race against time to completely regain their faculties for a race less than two days away.

As it turned out they were not able to recover. Disappointed and frustrated at the finish, the group immediately embarked on the long trek back to Monton with their dreams of glory unrealised.

Making matters worse was the generally slow average speed of 38 kilometres per hour recorded by the winning team, which on any other day would have been well within reach of the Cote d'Azur men.

Hubbard arrived at his residence wanting to forget what had happened -- and looking for a bed to collapse in -- but understood this to be part of the building process that will hopefully carry him to the next plateau. The youngest however is anxious to graduate from the `minor league' conditions he has had to endure riding with an amateur team, to the affluence afforded those in the professional ranks. He has targeted 1993 as his year to make the giant step up.