Bermuda Bicycle Association (BBA) president Peter Dunne is backing the Island's top young riders to come good at the Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships in Aruba this weekend.

With last year's top performers Izabella Arnold and Ryan Gunn not competing, it is an opportunity for another youngster to make a name for him/herself on the international scene.

Gunn has ruled himself out after being given the chance to represent the Island at the Youth Olympics in triathlon, and has been training since the spring to be at his peak for the inaugural games in Singapore.

And Dunne is backing Hayley Evans, who won a bronze medal in the 2008 championships to match, or even better that finish this time around. While Evans struggled with injury in 2009, the BBA president said the young rider was in better shape now than two years ago.

"We are very confident in Hayley's ability and think she can do even better this year than 2008," he said. "In 2009 she was ill but still competed, but did not have a great race. This year we have pushed her much further and I think her fitness is well above 2008 and 2009.

"What shape the competition is in is yet to be seen but having seen a few years of this competition I feel that she has the potential.

"Going into the races we will not talk so much about winning as giving a full effort, thinking about how the road race is developing and then staying close to the front of the race.

"After that we see how the race unfolds and hopefully she has the energy at the end to cross the line first."

The rigorous training schedule that Evans and team-mates, Dominique Mayho, Tre-shun Correia, Marquise Cann and Mark Godfrey, have been put through might have something to do with the heightened fitness levels.

Dunne believes that the five youngsters are in the best shape of any team in previous years and have the potential to succeed in Aruba.

"The team selection process started back in February when the BBA approached all junior members who would be of the appropriate age for the competition," said Dunne.

"There were three selectors appointed, Elliot Hubbard, Greg Hopkins and myself who provided a training programme designed by Geri Mewett specifically for these athletes focused on being in the best shape for this event...we gave them nutrition guides and dozens of local racing opportunities.

"The squad have been training five to six days each week for many months now, with the single goal of being in the best possible shape for this competition.

"They are in fantastic shape and are extremely well prepared so our expectations are high.

"But we recognise that the competition at this level is fierce and we are not the only team looking for gold.

"But they are certainly the best prepared I've seen our juniors and in both the road race and time trial we should be able to make the podium."

Also likely to play into Bermuda's hands is the landscape in Aruba, which is similar to home courses that the riders use week in, week out. The weather, however, might be another matter entirely.

"Aruba looks fairly flat and the course for the time trial is pancake flat," said Dunne.

"The road course is a bit lumpier but nothing that our team has not seem in multiples here.

"Terrain should not be an issue. On the other hand, we expect the temperature to be 90 degrees and the normal wind is 20 knots.

"Given the course orientation the riders will experience a lovely tailwind for half of each loop and then get it right in the face for the return.

"Our weather in Bermuda this past Sunday gave us an opportunity to work on a few techniques for staying protected from the wind so the hot and windy conditions will not be a new experience for the team."

Bermuda's squad is drastically trimmed down from previous years, with various reasons behind the smaller team.

The team was picked based on those who are available with age requirements, time trial standards as well as racing opportunities provided by the BBA throughout the racing season.

"There are two reasons for having a smaller squad," said Dunne. "First, last year we hosted the event and were allowed to enter a larger than usual team in the competition so we took advantage of this.

"Secondly, of the group that started training, several found that the time required to make all the training was going to conflict with other activities and individuals made their decisions accordingly.

"Alex Godfrey broke his collarbone in training just about six weeks ago and was selected for the team in hopes that it would heal in time.

"But over the weekend it was determined that he was not sufficiently healed for competition and he withdrew himself.

"I know this was a very difficult decision for him given the focus he has had on this event."

Team Bermuda: Junior (17-18) – Dominique Mayho, Tre-shun Correia; juvenile (15-16) – Marquise Cann, Mark Godfrey; girls (15-18) – Hayley Evans.