Kaden Hopkins: A Bermudian trying to make it in Europe

Kaden Hopkins is part of an emerging group of talented riders from the Caribbean.

Growing up on the small island of Bermuda in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, Hopkins had to work hard to get his opportunity to race in Europe.

"Growing up where I did," says Hopkins, "people always used to say: 'you're from Bermuda, you won't be a pro cyclist.' I would see, in Europe, 18 year-olds already winning races against the pros and getting contracts. Right off the bat it felt like you were playing catch up. Being from such a small place and being so far from Europe, it's not as easy to get into a bigger racing scene."

Hopkins is proud to be from Bermuda and of the growing cycling scene on the island which gave him his start in the sport.

"On a good weekend you might get eighty people racing across the different categories. During the season there are almost weekly races. We have a really good support in the Bermuda Bicycle Association... Peter Dunne is the Head of the BBA. Every Tuesday and Thursday, he would have training sessions for the juniors. We would finish school and then go the for an hour's training session. That got us involved in more structured training."

Hopkins is not the only young Bermudian trying to make a career out of riding his bike. Others include Conor White, Nic Narraway, Liam Flannery and Alexander Miller, all of whom are now racing in the USA and Europe.

"We have five or six guys around my age now all racing for Bermuda and we all came through that programme. For just a small island, there's a really good support system and a good way into the sport."

As a 15-year-old, Hopkins had his first opportunity to race outside of Bermuda. He picked up good results at the Green Mountain Stage Race Juniors. Later, at college in Colorado, he competed in the collegiate scene and some stage races. He was building momentum, competing well and making a name for himself.

Then a global pandemic put a stop to things.

This didn't phase the young man. "I went back to Bermuda and didn't have any races to prepare for, so I did the biggest training year of my life just doing laps of a tiny little island every day." Instead of worrying that his career was over, Hopkins used that time to progress as a rider.

Coming to the end of 2020, Hopkins was looking for a team where he could develop and show his talent. Diego Milan, a Domincan cyclist who Hopkins had raced against previously, gave him the opportunity to race for a new Spanish amateur team, Essax.

Racing in Spain has been a big adjustment for Hopkins. The Spanish amateur scene is no joke. The level of racing is high in comparison to the USA.

"Everyone talks about Europe as where you really have to make it. That's the final stepping-stone and I definitely see why. The culture behind it has so much depth to it. In Spain, there are so many races. In the States, more are coming on the calendar every year, but it doesn't compare. In Spain, the amount of races you have in the pro field, you have as many in the amateur field. There's ten serious amateur stage races. Really high level. Then the one-day races and the Spanish Cup. Even the small races in little towns as well. So there is so much racing available to do. More than the States or the Caribbean. That means that the riders are way more experienced, having raced at such a high level at an early age. When I came to Europe it was a real slap in the face as to how strong people were over there."

Having such a jump in the level of competition, Hopkins has learned a lot.

"My first year in Europe was definitely more of a learning experience than a racing experience. Last year, there were a lot of races, when it came down to energy conservation, being well positioned in the peloton, not going into climbs at the back. Positioning is the biggest thing I've learned. The more races you do, the more you're able to read them."

That learning put Hopkins in good stead for his biggest and most high profile race to-date, the 2022 Commonwealth Games Road Race.

In Birmingham, Hopkins competed against the likes of Geraint Thomas, Mark Cavendish and Daryl Impey. He made the winning move of the day after reading the race perfectly.

"Right from the gun I surfed the front. I didn't follow every move, but if I saw a Fred Wright, Luke Plapp or Mark Cavendish making a move... especially with Fred Wright, he's had an amazing year... I followed a wheel and all of a sudden I heard behind Ben Turner saying "OK everyone work together." I looked back and that split had happened and I knew then that that was going to be the move that went."

Hopkins put in a remarkable ride, eventually getting dropped on the final lap and finishing in 14th place. A few days earlier, he came 11th in the individual time-trial. In both races he is surrounded on the results by World Tour and ProTeam riders. It's a marker for what this 22-year-old from Bermuda could achieve over the coming years, given the chance.

A month after the Commonwealths, Hopkins travelled to Wollongong to compete in the under-23 World Championships. In the time-trial, he put in an equally impressive performance, finishing 13th in a high-level field. That day he beat many riders who have already signed professional contracts for 2023.

For most riders from more traditional cycling backgrounds, those results would have been enough to secure at least a Continental level contract. As is often the case for riders from the smaller nations in cycling, things are much more uncertain for Hopkins next season.

"I do have a manager helping me and talking to teams for me. There may be a few possibilities but it's really up in the air...Next year I want to try to be at least at the Continental level."