Skylar Schneider (Miami Blazers) returns to the Girls’s WorldTour and can race the 2025 highway season with Group SD Worx-Protime. With a one-year contract in hand, Schneider will work once more with Danny Stam, the sports activities supervisor for SD Worx-Protime who led the then-branded Boels-Dolmans Biking Group when Schneider raced from 2018 to 2020.
The 26-year-old Wisconsin native was simply 19 when she struck out from the US for the highest tier in Europe. Stam recalled that “she was always homesick”, and returned to the US after three years, however instructed him she would welcome a return to the staff when she was prepared.
‘Profitable retains successful, it’s a must to have sure qualities for that. I believe she might be of nice worth within the lead-out for Lorena Wiebes, however also can develop additional. By way of character she suits the staff and I’m additionally satisfied that bodily she has the ‘engine’ to compete on the highest stage,’ Sturm mentioned in a press launch.
Schneider amassed 28 particular person podiums in 2024, seven of these stage or criterium victories. She scored one other pair of omnium wins, the general at eight-race American Criterium Cup collection and the dash title within the ACC.
She instructed Cyclingnews that all the 2024 season was distinctive as she switched from L39ION of Los Angeles to Miami Blazers, each operated by Williams Racing Improvement, and had plans to affix the world’s number-one ranked professional ladies’s staff for the following season.
“I knew that I might be shifting to SD Worx in 2025, so it was necessary to me to spend one ultimate season as teammates with my sister [Samantha Schneider] and representing Williams Racing Improvement. We achieved so much in 2024 together with successful the American Criterium Cup particular person total, dash jersey and second finest staff,” she confirmed to Cyclingnews.
In 2023 she received the Pan-American highway race, earned bronze at US Professional Nationals within the highway race and completed the 12 months with third at Tour de Gatineau. The final three seasons she has raced together with her older sister Samantha Schneider, and the 2 teamed up final 12 months to rake in 18 victories from their 36 podiums for L39ION of Los Angeles squad.
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“Ending the season on the rostrum with my sister in Doylestown was one of the best ways to finish an period of being teammates,” she instructed Cyclingnews about one her highlights from 2024, the place she and Samantha completed second and third, respectively, on the professional ladies’s race on the Bucks County Traditional.
“I am additionally tremendous proud about successful the West Allis Cheese Wheel Traditional through the Tour of America’s Dairyland as that is our hometown race the place all of our household, mates, and bakery clients come watch; it is the place each of my worlds collide.”
‘I like criterium racing’
Skylar Schneider and her sister opened a bakery/espresso store and particular occasion venue, The Bread Pedalers, close to their hometown in Wisconsin in 2022, and that gave the youthful sister an outlet from a lowered competitors schedule when she returned to the US the 12 months earlier than. That was one dream changed into actuality, however she admitted she nonetheless had a need for extra with a biking profession.
“As I used to be baking at evening, I watched the entire ladies’s races taking place over in Europe. Then it turned clear to me: ‘racing is what units me on fireplace’, racing is what makes my coronary heart beat quicker. It turned clear to me that I needed to pursue my dream. I rode largely criteriums within the US, which gave me quite a lot of confidence,” Skyler mentioned.
“I attempted to get my foot within the door once more by doing a little racing in Europe. I used to be chosen for 2 World Championships and received the Pan-American title. Sooner or later, it turned clear to me that I needed to go all-in. Then I contacted Danny Stam once more. I anticipated him to say no after I referred to as him in 2023, however he was pleased to listen to from me. We made the plan to attend a 12 months and work in the direction of 2025, which appeared like one of the best method.”
Her determination was not primarily based on an absence of racing alternatives within the US, as she emphasised that the numerous criterium collection throughout the nation and a spring filled with smaller stage races has helped her improvement.
“I completely love criterium racing and consider that it is the finest format of racing for the US to nurture and develop. I do know that the technicality and velocity of criteriums within the US will translate effectively to the finals of highway races in Europe and I am wanting ahead to making use of these expertise.”
Schneider received her first set of highway nationals as a 12-year-old, taking victories within the highway race and criterium, and she or he additionally scored the double as a junior. Subsequent 12 months shall be her fifteenth season racing highway bikes. She has represented Group USA at a number of stage races over time and brought half in two World Championships and the Pan-Am Championships. Subsequent purpose? Assist her new staff and work to qualification for the 2028 Olympic Video games in Los Angeles.
“I believe 2025 shall be all about re-learning the European model of racing and proving that I belong. I’ve life like expectations concerning how troublesome it is going to be, so am uncertain what races I will be doing, however stay up for each alternative,” she confirmed.
“Right now, I haven’t got any particular targets apart from exhibiting as much as the races the place I am wanted and performing effectively to contribute to the staff’s success!
“Because of my background in using American criteriums, I’m good at positioning. I also can deal with quick climbs. I hope to journey a mixture of basic races and stage races.
“I believe each athlete goals of representing their nation at a house Olympics. I consider making the 2028 Olympic video games in LA my greatest purpose will preserve me extraordinarily motivated over the following 4 years. It provides me sufficient time to develop and obtain quite a lot of ‘smaller’ objectives alongside the best way. Transferring to SD Worx in 2025 is one huge step in the fitting path!”
