Island cyclist Whayman Butterfield is hoping his fine showing in the recent CD&P Grand Prix will continue when he competes in the US this weekend.

Butterfield notched a series of top four finishes at Bermuda's premier cycling event and aims to put his current form to good use at the APC Jamestown Classic in Rhode Island. He will be joined by Mike Lee for the event, which comprises of a 4.9-mile time trial on the first morning, followed by 1.4-mile looped criterium. The climax of the event is a 60-mile road race on a 19-mile circuit beginning in downtown Jamestown.

"It's definitely a prestigious race,'' he said. "It's held every year in Jamestown. They take the funds they get from the event and put them towards needy causes. It always takes place around the holiday, Columbus Weekend, which is on October 9 so it should be quite busy,'' he said.

The pair have been training regularly for the event and have come up with a strategy that they hope will reap dividends.

"Mike and I are feeling really good. We have been getting in about 10 hours a week training,'' he said.

"We have been more or less trying to match each other, strength for strength, so that it's not so much one of us doing the work and the other going along for the ride. We want to be able to support each other right down to the end of each event.'' Butterfield said they would be facing a high calibre of opposition but were confident of a good showing.

"We ride in Category Two here in Bermuda, but we are going to compete in the Pro 1, 2, 3s -- at the gruelling pain level,'' he said.

"We are hoping we can finish in the top half of the field. We are going to have fun, but at the same time we would like to close off the season with a good result,'' he said. On a personal level he said: "I feel good not just physically, I feel good mentally as well. Coming off the Grand Prix really gave me a good boost.'' Butterfield said this would be the final event of what he described as an up and down season "because of not being able to race as much as I would like due to work commitments.

"I work at the fire department so when I'm on shift I can't be chasing my bike around,'' said Butterfield, who joked that maybe he should be allowed to follow behind the tender on his cycle. "I said to guys `just give me a radio and I'll meet you at the fire'.''