BikeChain J19 National Road Series: Oliver Ward, Megan Russell conquer Canberra Junior Tour

Oliver Ward (Team Brennan/Norwood CC) and Megan Russell (The Women's Cycling Development Initiative p/b Balmoral CC) have each won the Canberra Junior Tour, the second stop of the BikeChain J19 National Road Series hosted by Canberra Cycling Club and Vikings Cycling Club.

Ward now has back-to-back wins in the three-round series, while Russell flipped the result from the Junior Tour of the Riverland by besting Ava Schmidtke (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing/South Coast CC) in the deciding 16.8-kilometre individual time trial stage.

In the under-19 men's race, Henry Jones (Tas Junior Cycling Foundation) struck first in the 80km road race with a solo breakaway win that staved off a chasing Ward and Fraser Oertel (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing/Adelaide Mountain Bike Club).

Henry Jones launched a solo 40km move to win the Stage 1 road race. (Gabe Nuspan)

Ward powered to the Stage 2 criterium win after breaking clear of a select group by three seconds around the Stephen Hodge Criterium Cycling Circuit at Stromlo Forest Park.

Will Brown (Port Adelaide CC) sprinted to the Stage 3 kermesse win on the Sunday morning return to the Stephen Hodge Criterium Cycling Circuit before Ward stamped his general classification victory with a commanding Stage 4 individual time trial performance that placed him 52 seconds ahead of Team Brennan teammate Alistair Forsyth (Ballarat Sebastopol CC) in second.

Ward finished as the convincing overall victor by nearly 90 seconds ahead of Oertel and Forsyth.

Oliver Ward laid down a strong Stage 4 time trial win. (Gabe Nuspan)

In the under-19 women's action, Charlotte Lovett (Bathurst CC) crossed the Stage 1 70km road race finish line 17 seconds to the good ahead of Butterfields Ziptrak Racing teammate Schmidtke.

Schmidtke grabbed her third stage win of the 2025 series in a sprint finish end to the Stage 2 criterium, but couldn't make it four in another sprint finish close to the Stage 3 kermesse, which was won by Hayley Dell (Newcastle Hunter CC).

Heading into the Stage 4 individual time trial, Lovett still remained the GC leader by a slender seven seconds advantage over Schmidtke.

Russell, who sat a further 11 seconds behind Schmidtke, emerged victorious on the hilly course, stopping the clock 51 seconds faster than Annie Kleywegt (Praties Cycling Team/Hobart Wheelers Dirt Devils CC) in second and Schmidtke in third, who were split by 0.2 of a second.

Megan Russell has now won both individual time trials of the 2025 BikeChain J19 National Road Series. (Turn8Photography/Hayden Archibald)

The Queenslander's second impressive time trial performance of the series secured the GC victory by 33 seconds.

The final round of the 2025 BikeChain J19 National Road Series will be the Balmoral Junior and Women's Tour in Brisbane on the June 28–29 weekend.

Men Under-19 – General Classification

1. Oliver Ward (Team Brennan/Norwood CC) 3:51:06
2. Fraser Oertel (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing/Adelaide Mountain Bike Club) +1:26
3. Alistair Forsyth (Team Brennan/Ballarat Sebastopol CC) +1:29
4. Henry Jones (Tas Junior Cycling Foundation) +1:35
5. Maxx Nuspan (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing/Bendigo and District CC) +1:53

Women Under-19 – General Classification

1. Megan Russell (The Women's Cycling Development Initiative p/b Balmoral CC) 3:59.38
2. Ava Schmidtke (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing/South Coast CC) +33
3. Annie Kleywegt (Praties Cycling Team/Hobart Wheelers Dirt Devils CC) +1:08
4. Charlotte Lovett (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing/Bathurst CC) +1:43
5. Vegas Henry (Meridian Blue Cycling/Carnegie Caulfield CC) +1:51

Feature picture: Oliver Ward attacking during the criterium. (Gabe Nuspan)