Hopkins Excited About World Championships
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Kaden Hopkins hopes to build on his success at the Commonwealth Games when he competes in the UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong, Australia.
Hopkins, the island’s top men’s cyclist, will compete in the under-23 time-trial and road race at the weeklong Championships, which start on Sunday.
He finished 48th in the time-trial and 97th in the road race in the Championships in the Flanders region of Belgium last year.
The Bermudian enjoyed a superb Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last month, finishing eleventh in the time-trial, the highest-placed amateur rider, and fourteenth in the road race.
“I’m the strongest I’ve ever felt,” Hopkins told Bernews. “The Commonwealth Games was a real motivation boost, and I’ve had a great mindset leading into the Championships.
“For an event this size, I don’t want to put any expectations on myself, but my focus is to go out there and perform to the level I know I’m capable. If I can do that, I will be satisfied.”
Hopkins has prepared for the Championships at a high-altitude training camp in Andorra and said his main focus in Wollongong is the 28.8-kilometre time-trial.
“I’m looking forward to the time-trial the most,” he said. “Most of my training has been based around the time-trial since the Commonwealths. I’m hoping to put together a good performance [on Monday].
“It’s a technical course, so positioning will be key for saving energy.”
Hopkins, who delivered a series of impressive displays for Spanish team Equipo Essax last season, said he intends to execute an intelligent performance in the 169km road race next Friday.
“The road race is bound to be chaos as usual,” he added. “My focus will be to avoid it by being positioned as well as I can throughout the race.
“I’m sure the atmosphere will be great for both events, which I’m excited about.”
