Bike Racing Series Rolls Into Milwaukee
Races in Bay View and the East Side this week promise to draw crowds, high-level cycling.
The 2019 Tour of America’s Dairyland Downer Classic. Photo from TOAD.
The Tour of America’s Dairyland bicycle racing series comes to Milwaukee this week. Races are scheduled for Bay View, Brady Street and Downer Avenue, with several more in the surrounding suburbs.
The 11-day series offers fan-friendly bicycle racing on closed, short loops through urban neighborhoods. Sponsored by Kwik Trip, daily events include everything from amateur to professional men’s and women’s races. A community street festival is held alongside each event.
The series features cyclists from across the globe competing in timed races. An announcer keeps the crowd informed on what’s happening, with pace cars and video display boards also tracking the action. Professional racers peak at speeds of approximately 35 miles per hour on flat courses, with a number of the courses offering challenging hills. The action picks up not just at the end of the race for the overall winner, but also for single-lap sprints (primes) with cash or gear prizes.
All of the races are free to attend, with larger crowds forming later in the day for the professional races. Many of the race days include a free kids’ race.
First-time attendees should consider timing their arrival to one of the professional races in the evening and sticking within earshot of the announcer to understand the action on the course.
Those that live, work or play on or near any of the courses should review the route map for potential detours or parking restrictions.
Grab a beer or grab your helmet, racing starts at 11 a.m. Monday on S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
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As someone who lives on the Bay View race course and has enjoyed watching the race for many years (except, there was no race the last 2 years), I encourage folks to watch any of the Milwaukee area races. I can tell you though, that in recent years I have talked with a couple of the Professional bike racers. Both told me that the very pointed corner at E. Ward St. and S. Allis St. (in Bay View) is the Sharpest turn in all of the Wisconsin Tour’s race courses. A couple of wrecks happen there every year.