tour of america's dairyland bike race

U.S. Stage Racing Is Alive and Well in...Wisconsin?

Tour of America’s Dairyland set the bar high 14 years ago and they’re still at it.

When you think of stage racing, you think of Wisconsin, right? No? Well you probably should.

Making it happen for 14 years and counting

The inaugural event came together when several Milwaukee-area cycling enthusiasts decided to start what was then a five-day road race. Since the launch, the series typically stages 11 consecutive days in 11 different communities throughout Southeast Wisconsin.

During each of those days, eight to ten races take place morning to dusk, offering opportunities for everyone. From junior riders as young as nine-years-old, to seasoned masters. Novices, pros, men, women, and non-traditional bike racers alike. Each year the event grows, and each year it features pro and amateur participants from more than 40 U.S. states and 15 countries.

Professional cyclists who have participated in the past include Matt Busche (USAC Pro Road Winner), Rahsaan Bahati (multi-time US National Crit Champion), Brent Emery (former U.S. Olympian), Katie Compton (14-time U.S. Cyclocross National Champion), Dan Holloway (U.S. Olympic track team), Coryn Rivera (holder of 71 U.S. National titles in road, track, cyclocross and MTB), Jennifer Valente (US Olympic gold, silver and bronze medalist on the track), and Ayesha McGowan (American professional road cyclist).

Bill Koch, Founding Member and Executive Director, says that after the first year they had a series of listening sessions where they invited women of the community to share their thoughts on the event moving forward. “We talked with women triathletes, cyclists, recreational riders, enthusiasts, whoever wanted to show up, and we asked, ‘What is it that you like about bike riding? What is it you like or don't know about bike racing? What are your fears?’” From there ToAD worked to make things more inclusive. “I wouldn't say we felt pressured to do it. We just wanted to do it. So we've been doing as much as we can to equalize everything we do.”

Equal prize money for men and women since before it was cool

ToAD has equal payouts for top pro men and women cyclists and men and women hand-cyclists. They also offer all kinds of primes for various achievements. In short, they want to celebrate as many athletes as possible, and see all different kinds of people on the podium.

In an effort to continue to create a non-intimidating atmosphere, ToAD also offers coffee rides for novice women to ride with the professional women. “They meet at a local coffee shop and we usually do two of those during the series,” Koch said. Last year women made up 34% of the total riders. And they want those numbers to continue to rise. “We’ve been working closely with Ayesha McGowan to bring her Thee Abundance Grant winners to ToAD.”

Koch says that in addition to getting more women involved overall, they also want to focus on getting more women of color involved, and more hand-cyclists involved. “We want people of all shapes and sizes and colors and nationalities coming from all over the world to race their bikes in Wisconsin.”

It’s not too late to get in on the competition and the fun. Expect to see some big names in racing, as well as lots of others out to have a great time giving it their all.

.css-1t6om3g:before{width:1.75rem;height:1.75rem;margin:0 0.625rem -0.125rem 0;content:'';display:inline-block;-webkit-background-size:1.25rem;background-size:1.25rem;background-color:#F8D811;color:#000;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-position:center;background-position:center;}.loaded .css-1t6om3g:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/bicycling/static/images/chevron-design-element.c42d609.svg);} Racing

2024 Giro d’Italia Results

2024 Giro d’Italia Riders to Watch

6 Must-Watch Stages of the 2024 Giro d’Italia

A Comprehensive Guide to the 2024 Giro d’Italia

Is the Giro d’Italia the Tougher Grand Tour?

Giro d’Italia’s Jersey Colors: What They Mean

Luke Lamperti Gears Up for Giro d’Italia Debut

2024 Giro d’Italia | Geraint Thomas to Lead Ineos

Highlights & Lessons From the 2024 Spring Classics

Wout van Aert Is Back to Outdoor Training

How to Watch La Vuelta Femenina 2024

CLASSIFIEDS Search For and Place Classifieds

SUBSCRIBE TODAY $59 Annually

De Pere hosts Tour of America’s Dairyland bike races

By Rich Palzewic

Contributing Writer

DE PERE – The Tour of America’s Dairyland (ToAD) – the largest competitive road cycling series in the United States – made a stop in De Pere on Monday, June 19.

ToAD is an 11-day competition that started on June 15 and ends on June 25.

This was De Pere’s first time hosting a race in the series’ history – which began in 2009.

With more than 500 competitors from around the globe competing in eight different categorized races, fans were treated to a day of fun and excitement, with speeds topping 35 mph on the mile-long course in Downtown De Pere.

The day started with novice races and ended with professional men.

Unlike road events, where competitors typically race on country roads away from heavy traffic, ToAD utilizes a format called criterium racing – or crits for short.

Competitors race on a closed-off course, typically in a downtown area to attract foot traffic and those wanting to see bike racing in an exciting format.

De Pere’s course had 11 turns and utilized parts of Front, George, Superior, James and William streets and a portion of Broadway – all along the scenic Fox River.

The downtown area closed off to traffic also had food trucks and live music.

“It was exciting to watch,” Joy Sandwood from Appleton said. “My nephew raced in the novice event, so I came to support him. He didn’t win or anything, but it was awesome to see him compete. It’s a bit nerve-wracking to watch, though.”

With tight corners and downhill sections, crashes can occur out of nowhere – with racers often being inches from one another.

“I remember when Appleton and Green Bay hosted races like this years ago,” Kaukauna’s Bob Sheldon said. “I was in the area today visiting my financial planner and was wondering what all the commotion was, so I stayed and watched for a bit.”

For more information and to view results, visit tourofamericasdairyland.com .

Nearby Communities

• Brookfield, WI
• Across Wisconsin
• Milwaukee, WI
• New Berlin, WI
• Greenfield, WI
• Menomonee Falls, WI
• Whitefish Bay, WI
• Shorewood, WI
• Greendale, WI
• Fox Point-Bayside, WI

State Edition

National edition.

• Top National News
• See All Communities

Tour Of America's Dairyland Final Bike Race Set For Wauwatosa

The bike race series will hold its final race in wauwatosa village at the end of the month..

Ethan Duran , Patch Staff

WAUWATOSA, WI — A bike race series that toured the state will hold its final race in Wauwatosa at the end of the month.

The Cafe Hollander Tosa Village Classic is the final day of Tour of America's Dairyland, a competitive, multiday road cycling event. It takes place in Wauwatosa Village on Sunday.

Some 500 professional and amateur racers from all over the world will compete, organizers said. They'll ride along State Street, North 72nd Street, part of Blanchard Street, part of North Wauwatosa Avenue and part of Underwood Avenue. The first event starts at 10:55 a.m. The last race ends at 8:15 p.m.

Find out what's happening in Wauwatosa with free, real-time updates from Patch.

The race lasts 11 days and passes through 11 different communities in Southeast Wisconsin. It's the largest competitive road cycling race in the nation, the city said.

The Lowland Group, which owns Cafe Hollander, has supported Tour of America's Dairyland since 2009 with sponsorships for two locations. Eric Wagner, owner of the group, said the highlight of the Tosa Village location is the amount of restaurants and businesses that surround the track.

"A lot of races are often on a square or oval with rounded corners," he said. "This one is almost in the shape of an 'M,' with sharp inclines and sharp turns, so it's going to be really demanding on the racers."

The Wauwatosa Village Business Improvement District will host the Kid's Race that day as well. Kids 12 and under will get to race down State Street at 6:20 p.m., according to the event page. The race will take place between the women's and men's professional race series.

"It's an absolute blast. These kids get after it in the sprints," Wagner said. "It's good for some laughs. Some kids are maybe going backwards or sideways. It's pretty awesome."

Another race was planned in Bay View at the group's Centraal Grand Cafe & Tappery location, but organizers said it was canceled because of the pandemic.

See also: Tosa Classic Village: Expect Road Closures In June

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Wauwatosa

Four tips to help boost health literacy in the workplace.

Kwik Trip Tour of America’s Dairyland

June 16-26, 2022 Featuring Launch of New Mini-Series

After 12 years of claiming fame and fortune with 10-11 consecutive days of racing across virtually all race categories, the Kwik Trip Tour of America’s Dairyland (ToAD) is trying a fresh approach to the “amateur” omniums in 2022.

Over the years, we’ve recognized that despite our best efforts and our racers’ best intentions, spending 11 days with the Tour of America’s Dairyland (ToAD) every year is not always feasible or even realistic. Many make hard decisions, picking which days to be here, or even worse, foregoing their beloved ToAD altogether and coming back another year!

Our average racer spends 5-6 days with us, so, picking up on that theme and those facts, along with the success of our Masters 1/2/3 omniums in 2019 and 2021, we have  launched a series of 5- and 6-day omniums in 2022 . Whether a Novice, solid Cat 2 or 3, or a seasoned masters racer, these new mini-series are designed with something for everyone and yes, you can choose to race 5, 6 or all 11 days with us!

The thing we’re most excited about are the two Novice omniums in our first five days! Designed to provide quality beginner level races to newcomers and those still working on their crit racing skill sets, these two series (one women and one men) will be supported by ATX Wolfpack with an on the bike pre-race clinic for women on June 15 and by Project Echelon with a series of webinars for the men.

ATX Wolfpack will be on-site each day of this series to advise Novice Women pre-race, mentor during the race and to debrief and cool down post-race. Project Echelon Racing will be supporting men’s novice racers through a series of virtual talks. Preview the course using ToAD course maps with one of the Project Echelon riders, getting an up-close look at the course and its nuances. Participants also get some tips and tricks on race-day preparation to help set up for success.

For More Information and to Register: ToAD Event: Website Wolfpack Clinic: Webpage Project Echelon Email: erhill88@gmail.com

Share this explore

Tour of America's Dairyland

The largest competitive road cycling series in the U.S. June 13-23, 2024

Vote for Kwik Trip - USA 10 Best

Register for ToAD 2024

Visit Our Website

Become a ToAD Host Family

Become a Brand Ambassador

Watch We Are Rock N Roll

Join Our Mailing List

Shop ToAD Merch

For the first time in its 13-year history, Tour of America's Dairyland cycling race has a stop in West Allis

For the first time in its 13-year history, the Tour of America's Dairyland , the largest competitive multi-day road cycling event in the U.S., will be making a stop in West Allis. 

The West Allis Cheese Wheel Classic, the sixth race in the 11-race series, is set for Tuesday, June 21.

The day's racing schedule can be found here .

Second District Alderman Marty Weigel, who's been pushing for a West Allis stop on ToAD for years, said scheduling has been a roadblock in the past, but things fell into place for this year. 

"We're all very excited about getting it here," said Weigel, a self-described ToAD fan and cycling advocate.

Weigel said West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe owner Mark Lutz is doing the "heavy lifting" financially by being a sponsor for the event.

Lutz said he's backing the race because he thinks it'll be a positive for the city.

"I'm a big supporter of West Allis, and West Allis has been very good to me, so I thought this would be a nice event to bring to the area," he said. 

ToAD anticipates hosting an estimated 500 pro and amateur racers on the starting line each day in 11 Wisconsin communities from June 16-June 26 .

Professional cycling sisters in West Allis plan to race 

Sam and Skylar Schneider, professional cyclists from West Allis , are ecstatic that ToAD is making a stop in their hometown. 

"We are over the moon excited, almost in disbelief, that West Allis is getting a bike race of this caliber," Sam said. "We're super, super excited."

The two are racing on the same team this season, L39ION of Los Angeles, and Sam said the team is coordinating its schedule so the sisters can race in West Allis.

"We just got confirmation from the team that we will fly in Monday (June 20) from New York City, race on Tuesday and then leave straight away on Wednesday for nationals," Sam said. "I think we're going to be on quite the adrenaline kick coming to the race there."

The sisters, who plan to open a bakery and café called The Bread Pedalers this year in West Allis, didn't want to miss a race in their hometown, Skylar said.  

"Having a business coming to this city, and speaking about how we're opening a bakery and café, and (being) professional cyclists, now both worlds can collide and that'll be really special for us," she said. 

The race will start and finish on West Becher Street 

The race route will start and finish at South 69th and West Becher streets, Tour of America’s Dairyland Executive Director Bill Koch said. 

Racers will travel in a counterclockwise direction, following Becher Street to 68th Street, north on 68th to Burnham Street, west on Burnham (staying south of the railroad tracks) to 69th Street, south on 69th to Rogers Street, west on Rogers to South 71st Street, south on 71st to Becher and east on Becher. 

Lutz said the route is mostly residential. 

"There's only a couple businesses on the route, and the rest is residential, so it should be fun for the neighbors, I hope," Lutz said. "I hope I don't make too many of them upset."

Weigel said some city staff will spend extra time on race-related tasks, but the city isn't opening up its checkbook to fund the event. 

"We're not having to shell out cash money for this race, that's been a big win for the city," he said.

West Allis Mayor Dan Devine said because this is the first time the city is holding a race, they're still working out the logistics and responsibilities. 

He said financial support is coming from sponsorships and from the West Allis Tourism Commission, which is funded by the hotel room tax.

Overall, Devine said the race will be great for the city. 

"I hope it will bring in a lot of new faces to visit West Allis," Devine said in an email. "I am sure some will be visiting for the first time, while others will return and see all the positive changes that have taken place in recent years." 

Contact Bob Dohr at 262-361-9140 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at @BobDohr1 .

Traffic tie-ups continue as cyclists race the 46th annual TD Five Boro Bike Tour in NYC

More than 32,000 cyclists of all skill levels participated in the 40-mile charitable bike ride throughout the five boroughs.

The first wave of cyclists began biking at 7:30 a.m. in Lower Manhattan at the intersection of Franklin Street and Church Street. Riders are racing through each borough until they reach the finish line in Ford Wadsworth, Staten Island.

Cyclists racing the 46th annual TD Five Boro Bike Tour in Dumbo, Brooklyn.

Rolando Pujol

Co-organized by Bike New York, the tour helps fund free bike education programs and equip people with the skills needed to ride safely and confidently on city streets.

You can find more information about the event on Bike New York's website .

The bike tour helps raise money for 'Bike New York,' which offers education programs throughout New York City.

ALSO READ | Imposter posed as Queens man for doctor's visits in 'fraudulent' construction fall claim

* Get Eyewitness News Delivered

* More Manhattan news

* Send us a news tip

* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts

* Follow us on YouTube

Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News

• June 13: Janesville
• June 14: West Allis
• June 15: Grafton
• June 16: Manitowoc
• June 17: De Pere
• June 18: Cedarburg
• June 19: Mount Pleasant
• June 20: Bay View
• June 21: Shorewood
• June 22: Downer Ave
• June 23: Wauwatosa
• Racer Overview
• Visitor Guide
• Dormitory Housing
• Handcyclist Housing
• Host Housing for Racers
• What to Expect
• Cycling 101
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Be an Ambassador
• Volunteer on Course
• Host a Rider

Visit our Tech Guide for detailed schedules, scoring protocol, and prize information. Please note that the entry fees displayed below do not reflect WI sales tax and tax-exempt USAC insurance surcharge.

All registration is online only! Last-minute registration is available until 90 minutes before each race starts, or until the given field is full.

Email keeps you in the know