A total of 17 Bermuda riders will compete in this weekend’s Tour of the Battenkill dubbed “America’s toughest one-day race”.Five riders from Team Madison and nine from Team Fast Forward will be making the trek to Cambridge, New York, while four junior cyclists will be representing the Island.The 64-mile course in rural upstate New York includes sections of unpaved roads, steep climbs and one wooden covered bridge.Representing Bermuda in the junior race will be Dominique Mayho, Mark Godfrey, Vashon Cann and Tre-shun Correia.The quartet have raced together internationally at last year’s High and Rim Classic in Tennessee and at the Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships in Aruba.Bermuda Bicycle Association (BBA) president Peter Dunne said the Tour of the Battenkill would be an opportunity for the juniors to experience a high level event.“We do have expectations but they are not for podium results,” he said.“This is an opportunity for the guys to race at a high level over a long distance and in challenging conditions. We want to see their fitness and development in race tactics.“I’d be happy to see them finish in the middle of the field.“The guys are riding more like a team and have begun to think about racing as a team rather than just hammering along as individuals.“Regardless of the individual outcomes it will be a learning experience and will help them in other major races later in the year.”Team Madison’s Phil Trussell echoed Dunne’s sentiments in regards to having no real podium expectations for the riders.“We’ve prepared for the race and we’ll ride as hard as we possibly can and see where we end up,” said Trussell.The Bermuda junior team will join more than a hundred other youngsters aged from 15 to18 from the USA and Canada in a race that has rapidly grown in numbers and prestige.While the race distance should prove manageable for the local riders, it’s the high calibre of talent they will face that will make for a tough challenge.Added to this will be the demanding combination of steep hills, several unpaved sections and cooler than usual temperatures.The Battenkill race comes one week before the BBA’s road racing season gets underway with the Butterfield Bermuda Grand Prix.Team Madison: Phil Trussell, Greg Reid, Brian Drea, Neil Lupsic, Sarah BonnettTeam Fast Forward Bicycle Works: Jeff Amaral, Charles Dunstan, Martin Bolton, Neil de Ste.Croix, Grant Goudge, Ian Port, Steve Tomlinson, Chris Harkness, Clifford Roberts.