Tingley slams the door on the final day. Reed reaps benefits at ToAD 2021 | USA Hand Bike Circuit

A single crit race can have many different results. Take a bad line, follow the wrong move or simply ride with too much caution and your race can end up with an unsatisfactory result. Four handcycle crit races in a row, as you can imagine, should have even more possibilities. But so often, the results of each race rarely change; and if they do, only by a single position.

The 2021 Tour of America’s Dairyland (ToAD) was no exception to the rule. On day 1, Matt Tingley and Mike Sales quickly showed the crowd at Otto Wenz Cafe Hollander Downer Classic who had the speed that day. Sales rode to a confident win and showed his potential to run the table with consecutive wins. Alicia Dana spent most of her race dueling it out with Adam Finney, Steve Chapman and Dan Stietz. Dana cruised to a Women’s win on the first day while Ryen Reed was in chase mode for the full contest and would have to hope for better luck the following day to even the score. RESULTS

On day 2 Tingley earned the top position of the podium. A large pack containing about six riders seemed content to work together until Tingley watched his biggest threat rotate to the rear of the pack. He seized the opportunity to gap the field and try to solo to the finish. Sales recognized the attack too late and despite a final desperate surge, fell fifteen seconds short of bridging up to the winner of the Shorewood Criterium Cycling Classic. Alicia Dana again showed tenacity while duking it out with eventual Men’s third place finisher Steve Chapman. Women’s results had Dana in first followed by Reed for second place and Gabrielle Platt crossed for third. RESULTS

Day 3, Highlands Criterium, take a guess. If you chose Sales winning the Men’s side and Dana the Women’s side you would be wrong; or, how about half right. Sales and Tingley decided to ride up the road together leaving the others to fight for third place. In a cat and mouse game played by each, eventually it came to Sales making a bold move, rendering Tingley in a no contest position, and yielding a second victory for Sales.  Tingley secured second, while Chapmen again grabbed third place. For the women, Ryen Reed benefited from a collision Dana had with a lapped rider. Her wheel badly damaged, Dana nonetheless limped around the course, finishing in last. Velette Britt showed for third. RESULTS

Day 4 Cafe Hollander Tosa Village Classic was for sure going to be exciting. Sales and Tingley had been jockeying for position all weekend;  technically, this race was for all the marbles: Whoever won would win the Omnium. In the Women’s contest, Reed had to cross the line no worse than second to win the Omnium, which she eventually did. Right off the line,  Adam Finney got away with Mike Sales only to be eventually reeled back in by Matt Tingley and company. Tingley and Sales pulled away from the others so they could concentrate on each other til the end. This one was coming down to a sprint. Sales plowed ahead too early in the final straight and found himself a bike length behind Tingley as they crossed the last finish line of the weekend. RESULTS

overall results