Bermuda's cyclists will be in the thick of the action in this year's CD&P Grand Prix, according to National Coach Greg Hopkins.

With attention focused on many of the international teams coming to the Island for the event, it would be easy to forget that Bermuda has its own bevy of stars.

Though teams like Mercury, Navigators, Saturn and Shaklee steal the limelight in the mens field and Elita, Saturn and Farm Frites in the womens, riders such as Geri Mewett, Kris Hedges, Tyler Butterfield, Melanie Claude and Julia Hawley will be looking to bring a little success our way.

Hopkins said in the past few years only the name of Elliot Hubbard had been linked to the top performers -- although the former winner of the event and Commonwealth Games, Pan Am Games and Olympian will be missing from the starting line-up for the 2000 race due to a broken collarbone suffered in a training accident. But it would be a different story this year, he said.

"Former Olympic swimmer Geri Mewett has been recording some impressive results this season for the DeFeet team and has taken a number of top scalps, particularly in the criterium style of racing like the CD&P event,'' said Hopkins.

"Recently he placed second to Navigators top sprinter Todd Littlehales in the Atlanta Classic over a tough and technical course similar to the Front Street event, and in Superweek, a week long series of races in California last month, he recorded a number of top ten placings.'' Hopkins said Hedges had also had a strong season while riding for the Richard Sachs team in the category two division.

"On his return visits to Bermuda this year he was an impressive winner in the Sinclair Packwood Memorial Trophy on Heritage Day and equally dominated the National Road Race Championship in July,'' the coach said.

Butterfield, 17, who has been racing with the Richard Sachs team for the past month, also illustrated his ability to race at the top level when he held his own at the demanding Killington event in Vermont.

"The youngster stayed with the top professional riders in the second stage criterium where the field rode the 56 lap, 45 mile race in excess of a 30mph average speed,'' Hopkins said.

"He is currently preparing for the World Junior Championships in France and will be looking for positive performances in the Grand Prix before leaving on October 7.'' In the womens event, last year's Grand Prix winner Melanie Claude and team-mate Julia Hawley will have their work cut out when they make up the largest female field to date.

"Both women have shown they are more than capable of challenging the top riders, with Claude having ridden in the Tour De France De Feminin earlier this year. Both competed in the prestigious womens stage race in Canada last month and Hawley finished the tortuous Killington Stage race last weekend, which was won by multi-world champion, Jeannie Longo,'' Hopkins said.

Other riders likely to enter the Pro 1 and 2 field are Steve Sterritt, fresh from a strong performance in the World Masters Mountain Bike Championship in Quebec, and Steve Millington, who like Hawley returned after a strong performance at Killington.

"With team tactics playing a big part in top level cycle racing I would not put pressure on any of the local riders to take overall honours in this year's Grand Prix,'' Hopkins said. "But I am confident Bermuda will be well represented in an event that has taken on top international status on the cycling calendar.'' Leading the chase: Bermuda's Tyler Butterfield will give the pro riders a run for their money at this year's grand Prix. Butterfield heads off for the World Junior Championships after the event.