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

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.

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