Eighty young bike racers from 20 teams and 12 states gathered in Sussex County, New Jersey over the weekend of May 22-23 for the Second Annual Can-Am Junior Challenge. The Can-Am is a two-day, three event juniors-only bike race that consists of a time trial, a criterium and a circuit race. The junior cyclists, their families and fans enjoyed classic summer weather, commentary by Joe Saling, the "voice of the Tour of Somerville," and exciting racing.

The six-rider field in the men's 10-12 division boiled down to a two-man battle between New Jersey third generation bike racer Patrick Bastianelli of Team Army and Team Fuji hotshot Kevin Griffin of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Although Kevin outsprinted Patrick in both the criterium and the circuit race, he finished third in the time trial, behind Bastianelli and defending New Jersey State Criterium champion Adam Schlauch of Team Somerset. As a result, Patrick and Kevin tied in GC points, with Patrick awarded first based on his faster time trial. Adam Schlauch finished third.

The men's 13-14 field of 18 riders pitted Florida national track and road champion Nijisane Phillips against Chris Thorton of the New Hampshire Junior Cycling Academy, NECSA's Kyle Foley and Alex Cropley, both of Connecticut, and western Pennsylvania's Marshall Hartley, riding for North Hills Velo. Phillips was unbeatable in the mass start events, outsprinting Thorton in the Skylands Park Criterium and Cropley in the Augusta Circuit race. The hilly and twisting Sawmill Time Trial proved to be Nijisane's undoing, however, as his tenth place finish allowed Chris Thorton to edge him out for the GC victory. Kyle Foley was third in the GC.

Twenty-four riders lined up in the men's 15-16 category. Liberty Cycle's dynamic duo of Stephen Chiselko, last year's 13-14 GC champion and NJ State Criterium champion Taylor Kahl, faced stiff competition from Rhode Island time trial specialist Ian Gordon of Team Arc En Ciel, Snow Valley's Curtis Windsor, New Yorker Peter Salon of Cuevas Development, and Barry Miller, Unione Sportiva International, of Larchmont, New York. Gordon nailed the time trial, taking second place overall on the serpentine course through the deep woods of High Point State Park. Ian has traveled to New Jersey for every time trial this year, and before the Can-Am, was unbeaten among juniors. Showing he can sprint as well as time trial, Gordon finished first in Sunday's Augusta Circuit Race to seal the GC victory. Barry Miller was second in the GC and Stephen Chiselko third. Snow Valley's Windsor was fourth and Peter Salon was fifth. Taylor Kahl, despite a well timed sprint to win the Skylands Park Criterium, took sixth in the GC.

Justin Thompson of Maxxis/Seatpost.com tied with National cyclocross champion Jamie Driscoll of Jericho, Vermont, for men's 17-18 GC. Thompson was awarded first based on his time trial, which was the fastest overall. Liberty Cycle's Cameron Hurst, of Morristown, N.J. was third. Hurst won the Skylands Park Criterium, for the second year in a row, on Saturday afternoon in a two-man break with teammate Paul Montemurno, who was racing in the combined Super J category. The fast, flat ½ mile Skylands Park course, which can be seen in its entirety from anyplace on the course, has been the scene of many successful breakaways. Justin Thompson nipped Driscoll in the field sprint for third.

Driscoll, Hurst and Thompson were part of a successful 4 rider breakaway in the Augusta Circuit Race on Sunday. Driscoll and Hurst each had two teammates in the field, who frustrated efforts of the four man Cuevas Development team to organize the chase. Driscoll nipped Hurst in the sprint by inches for the stage win. Justin Thompson of Groton, NY, took third in the stage.

The Men's Super J category, new this year to the Can-Am for espoirs under 21, saw a three man competition between Liberty Cycle's Paul Montemurno and Chris Chesebro, and Dana Alia of NECSA. Montemurno took first in the GC winning all three events, with Alia second and Chesebro third.

The women's competition was dominated by a pair of young ladies from Pennsyslvania. Sinead Miller, of Pittsburgh, riding for AGH/Pactimo, won all three events to take GC honors in the 5 rider women's 13-14 category. Lehigh Valley's Coleen Gulick was second, with Nina Santiago of Liberty Cycle third. Lauren Tracy, Team Vortex, of Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, likewise won all three events in the women's 15-16 field, taking GC honors from Connecticut's Allie Johnson, riding for Cuevas Development. Chelsea Reynolds of Endicott, NY won the women's 17-18 time trial, but couldn't hold off New Hampshire's Jennifer Strasser in the sprints. Strasser won the GC for Cuevas Development and Reynolds was second.

In the team competition, local composite squad TeamNJ Blue won handily, outscoring the NECSA team 200 to 125. Cuevas Development placed third. Cuevas took the women's competition, edging TeamNJ White, 81-75.

The Can-Am Junior Challenge, in only its second year on the junior racing calendar, has rapidly grown to be one of the premier juniors-only racing events in the country. The omnium-style race provides juniors the exceptionally rare opportunity to compete in their own age groups, in good-sized fields. Promoted by local New Jersey clubs Skylands Cycling and Liberty Cycle, the Can-Am emphasizes a friendly, supportive environment, equally receptive to elite and novice junior racers. The Can-Am is part of the Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Race Series, and hosts the New Jersey State Road Racing Championships for juniors age 10-14.