Schneiders, Labecki Keep Overall Jerseys at ToAD

Samantha Schneider (TIBCO) finished third in the Oshkosh Criterium de Titan to keep her overall series lead at the Tour of America's Dairyland. Tina Pic (Fearless Femme) won the sprint finish.

Schneider, from West Allis, is trying to repeat her 2013 ToAD overall victory. 

Her 15-year-old sister Skylar continues to lead the Cat. 2 overall series by five points. 

Meanwhile Milwaukee-native Nathan Labecki (ISCorp) maintained his lead in the Cat. 2 overall series in the pro men's race, won by Justin Williams (Astellas).

Velocause riders Brian Leatherman and Mario Medina finished third and eighth in the Masters 1/2 while Ross Giese finished seventh in the Masters 3/4. Giese moved up to third in the Masters 45 plus 3/4 overall. Andy Feuersthaler, Leatherman, and Medina now sit seventh, eighth, and ninth in the Masters 35 plus 1/2 overall.

See all the results here.

Schneider Keeps Overall Lead After Beloit ToAD Race

Samantha Schneider (TIBCO) narrowly held onto her overall series leader jersey as she took second in the Beloit Bike Classic.

Samantha Schneider

Schneider leads Erica Allar (Colavita-Fine Cooking) by just two points in the Tour of America's Dairyland Pro Women series. Allar finished third, while Tina Pic (Fearless Femme), who sits in third overall five points behind Schneider, won the sprint finish. 

Schneider, Allar, and Pic have all finished in the top five each day of the ToAD series. 

Skylar Scheider

Schneider's 15-year-old phenom sister Skylar (TIBCO) is leading the category 2 series competition and sits in sixth overall in the pro women's series. 


Here is Active Pursuit's Tom Held on the racing. The Wisconsin Bike Fed also did a nice article on the Schneiders and 19-year-old Nathan Labecki.

Nathan Labecki pulls on Best Amateur jersey.

In the Pro Men's race at Beloit, Justin Williams (Astellas) won the race, while Daniel Holloway (Athlete Octane, finished second and held onto his healthy overall series lead. 

After racing in the category 2/3 division, Milwaukee rider Labecki (ISCorp) raced in the pro division, earning him top honors in the category 2 series while taking an impressive 16th in the pro race. 

Al Krueger (KS Energy/ Team Wisconsin) won the 2/3 event. 

In the masters 1/2 race, Velocause rider Brian Leatherman took third, winning the field sprint. Andy Feuersthaler (Velocause) finished 11th and held onto fifth overall, while Leatherman moved up to 11th. Michael Froh of Velocause continued his consistent placings and moved into fifth overall in the category 1/2 45 plus division. 

The Velocause category 3/4 masters had a more difficult day, with Jeffrey Elam getting 11th. Benny Smith is 8th in the overall. 

Tour of America's Dairyland Kicks Off in Shorewood

The Tour of America's Dairyland began Thursday night in Shorewood in the Shorewood Criterium Cycling Classic presented by Shorewood Business Improvement District just before the skies opened and the rain fell. 

Erica Allar (Colavita-Fine Cooking) won the women's race in a field sprint, beating out West Allis native and niece of Ben's Cycle IT guy Dan Schneider Samantha Schneider (Team TIBCO) took second. Schneider won the overall ToAD women's series last year and is looking to repeat her win. Skyler Schneider, Sam's 15-year-old phenom sister also riding for TIBCO, took 7th. 

Daniel Holloway (Athlete Octane) won the men's race out of a four-man break. Wisconsin riders Max Anderson (Lakes Area Physical Therapy), Chad Hartley (Athlete Octane), Cole House, and Dan Teaters (Team Wheel and Sprocket) finished in the top 20. 

Matt Kelley (Quantum Mesa Cycles) won the category 2/3 race. Local riders Al Krueger and Fred Derocher both of KS Energy/ Team Wisconsin finished 6th and 8th, respectively.

Full results can be seen here. Racers travel to East Troy today for a full day of racing in all categories. Watch for Velocause team, sponsored by Ben's Cycle, in the results!

Tetrick Did the Downer Double at Last Year's Women's Race

Only once in the history of the Downer Avenue bike race, one of the biggest events at the Tour of America's Dairyland, has the rider who goes for the Ben's Super Prime won the race. 

Tetrick celebrates her win at Downer with chocolate
milk. Milwaukee's Samantha Schneider took second.

Typically, the race to the last corner of the annual criterium on Milwaukee's East Side is for the prime, and it is too much for a rider's body to recover in time for the final sprint to win the race. 

But in last year's women's race, Alison Tetrick, racing for the Twenty16 Pro Cycling Team, pulled off a rare double. 

"People have to think if they want to go for the prime or go for the win," she says. "It is very close to the finish so there is some gambling involved.  For those that go for the prime, they could easily be counter attacked and someone else could win."

So Tetrick, a time trial specialist, attacked on the prime lap, won the $1,000 and kept going to win the race. 

"As a time trialist, I knew I didn't want to sprint for the prime, but was able to take a solo flyer to snag it," she says.  "Our tactic was to save our sprinter, but for me to go for a late move.  It caught some of the other teams off guard because I kept riding after the prime, and then soloed in for the win!"

Tetrick, who said she will miss this year's event, won two stages of last year's ToAD: Downer and the Road America road race. This year she also won the prestigious Sea Otter Classic road race in April.

Growing women's racing is an important part of Tetrick's mission as a cyclist. The cycling community needs to add "sustainability and opportunity to the women's sport by providing equal prize money and media coverage."

This year on June 28 the best racers in the U.S. will again come to Wisconsin for ToAD. Will any of them be able to pull off the Downer Double? Or will Tetrick's feat stand forever? 

The Ben's Prime Party starts around noon at the corner of Park and Hackett. Come join us!

Downer Party is Here Again!

It's that time again!

Ben's Cycle is hosting the annual Downer Classic party as the Tour of America's Dairyland comes to the East Side for the 45th edition of the Great Downer Bike Race.

The Ben's Super Prime has become legendary, as pro racers push their speed to the limit to win the lap prize that has been between $5-7,000!

Your ticket to the party, a bargain at $25, funds the prime. Plus, the party is a ridiculously good time. 

Watch an incredible race, support the Super Prime, eat and drink your fill!