Kaden Hopkins finished four places ahead of team-mate Matthew Oliveira in the men’s junior time-trial at the UCI Road World Championships yesterday.

Along with Alyssa Rowse, Hopkins and Oliveira are testing themselves against the best young cyclists in the world at the championships in Bergen, Norway.

Hopkins completed the 21.1-kilometres course in 30min 29.57sec to place 53rd out of 72 riders, 2:27.42 behind Thomas Pidcock, of Britain, the time-trial winner, who finished in 28:02.15. Oliveira came 57th in a time of 30:54.33.

Both Hopkins and Oliveira will return to action in the junior men’s road race on Saturday. Up next, though, is Rowse, who placed 38th in the women’s junior individual time-trial on Monday in 26:50.33. Rowse will race in the women’s junior road race on Friday.

Peter Dunne, the Bermuda Bicycle Association president, admits the championships are a steep learning curve for Bermuda’s riders, but said he was encouraged by the trio’s performances so far.

“We knew coming into this event that podium results were not expected,” Dunne said.

“Our purpose in attending was to give these three the chance to see how the best juniors in the world perform and how our athletes can do head-to-head.

“All three of our team turned in strong individual performances which were consistent with how well they have been racing all year.

“Looking at some of the data from their rides [heart rate, power and cadence] tells me that they worked at or above their best for the year.

“The difference yesterday and today is that the competition was far deeper.

“Their results are not to be sniffed at and were ahead of riders from countries with more advanced programmes than we currently have in Bermuda.”

Dunne is confident Bermuda’s riders will continue to punch above their weight in Bergen.

“These final events will be another test of our riders, but after the time-trials we are confident that their participation here in Bergen is justified and that it will help raise their, and by extension all of Bermuda’s, performance level,” he said.

All three riders competed at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Nassau, Bahamas, in July.

Oliveira won the gold medal in the boys’ time-trial and bronze in the road race, and Rowse bronze in the girls’ time-trial.