ToAD Stage 6: In Defense of Yellow

Mike Sherer before the start of Tuesday’s stage.

Mike Sherer had the overall leader’s yellow jersey going into Tuesday’s stage in Sheboygan, and it was clear that the Kenda/Geargrinder team would be gunning for it from the start. Monday’s double points road race and Mike’s jump to the top of the podium reminded everyone that this was indeed a stage race and tactics moved to the forefront of everyone’s mind.

The squad for Tuesday included Waylon Janowiak, who at 19 years old was racing his sixth day in a row, and Danny Robertson, who worked his job as a garbage man in Rolling Meadows from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. before making the drive up. Team director Mike Ebert also lined up to do whatever he could to help Sherer.

As expected, the racing was aggressive from the gun and Kenda/Geargrinder riders Chad Hartley (2nd overall) and Jim Stemper (4th overall) threw in constant attacks. Sherer was often stuck chasing as the other teams looked for the yellow jersey to chase and the Kenda/GG riders laid in wait to counterattack. Robertson, Janowiak and Ebert all covered whatever moves they could but eventually Stemper escaped with Mike Northey (Rubicon Orbea), French rider Aurellen Passerson and Neil Bezdek of Mountain Khakis. The four worked well to build a lead of over 40 seconds and at one point were only 30 seconds from lapping the field. Nothey went on to win the day with Stemper in second and Raashan Bahati lit up the field sprint for 5th.

Stemper’s result moved him into the overall lead and teammate Chad Hartley took eighth to move into second. Sherer finished 13th on the day and slipped to third, just three points behind Stemper and one point behind Hartley.

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