Skylar Schneider (Miami Blazers) returns to the Girls’s WorldTour and can race the 2025 street season with Workforce 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 Workforce 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 continuously homesick”, and returned to the US after three years, however informed him she would welcome a return to the group when she was prepared.
‘Successful retains profitable, it’s important to have sure qualities for that. I feel she may be of nice worth within the lead-out for Lorena Wiebes, however also can develop additional. When it comes to character she suits the group and I’m additionally satisfied that bodily she has the ‘engine’ to compete on the highest stage,’ Sturm stated 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 total at eight-race American Criterium Cup collection and the dash title within the ACC.
She informed 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 group for the subsequent season.
“I knew that I’d be transferring to SD Worx in 2025, so it was essential to me to spend one ultimate season as teammates with my sister [Samantha Schneider] and representing Williams Racing Improvement. We achieved lots in 2024 together with profitable the American Criterium Cup particular person total, dash jersey and second finest group,” she confirmed to Cyclingnews.
In 2023 she gained the Pan-American street race, earned bronze at US Professional Nationals within the street 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 the easiest way to finish an period of being teammates,” she informed 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 profitable the West Allis Cheese Wheel Traditional throughout the Tour of America’s Dairyland as that is our hometown race the place all of our household, buddies, and bakery prospects 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 diminished competitors schedule when she returned to the US the 12 months earlier than. That was one dream became actuality, however she admitted she nonetheless had a need for extra with a biking profession.
“As I used to be baking at night time, 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 sooner. It turned clear to me that I needed to pursue my dream. I rode largely criteriums within the US, which gave me lots of confidence,” Skyler stated.
“I attempted to get my foot within the door once more by performing some racing in Europe. I used to be chosen for 2 World Championships and gained the Pan-American title. In some unspecified time in the future, it turned clear to me that I wished to go all-in. Then I contacted Danny Stam once more. I anticipated him to say no after I known as him in 2023, however he was comfortable to listen to from me. We made the plan to attend a 12 months and work in direction of 2025, which appeared like the very best strategy.”
Her resolution was not primarily based on a scarcity of racing alternatives within the US, as she emphasised that the numerous criterium collection throughout the nation and a spring full of smaller stage races has helped her growth.
“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 street races in Europe and I am trying ahead to making use of these abilities.”
Schneider gained her first set of street nationals as a 12-year-old, taking victories within the street race and criterium, and she or he additionally scored the double as a junior. Subsequent 12 months might be her fifteenth season racing street bikes. She has represented Workforce USA at a number of stage races through the years and brought half in two World Championships and the Pan-Am Championships. Subsequent aim? Assist her new group and work to qualification for the 2028 Olympic Video games in Los Angeles.
“I feel 2025 might be all about re-learning the European fashion of racing and proving that I belong. I’ve reasonable expectations concerning how troublesome will probably be, so am not sure what races I will be doing, however sit up for each alternative,” she confirmed.
“At the moment, I haven’t got any particular targets apart from displaying as much as the races the place I am wanted and performing effectively to contribute to the group’s success!
“Due to my background in using American criteriums, I’m good at positioning. I also can deal with brief climbs. I hope to experience a mixture of traditional races and stage races.
“I feel each athlete goals of representing their nation at a house Olympics. I consider making the 2028 Olympic video games in LA my greatest aim will hold me extraordinarily motivated over the subsequent 4 years. It provides me sufficient time to develop and obtain lots of ‘smaller’ objectives alongside the best way. Shifting to SD Worx in 2025 is one large step in the appropriate route!”
