Sprint Finishes Dominate the Downer Classic

Aline Seitz and Ben Oliver prove they had the best power in an exciting American Criterium Cup race in Wisconsin.

Aline Seitz and Ben Oliver emerged victorious on Saturday in the latest stop of the American Criterium Cup, capturing hard-fought sprint wins in the Downer Classic. The race, held in Milwaukee’s storied Downer Avenue neighborhood, marked the third round of the series and the tenth day of competition in the Tour of America’s Dairyland.

In the women’s race, we were treated to the return of West Allis-native Skylar Schneider, Team SD Worxs, who was racing in Europe, alongside Marlies Mejias Garcia, Twenty28, who both appeared poised to continue their dominance over the last two years of criterium racing. Those two were clearly the pre-race favorites. The pair controlled the pace and claimed the majority of the $5,000 in primes, displaying aggressive tactics and sharp legs. Mejias also extended her advantage in the ACC mid-race green jersey competition.

But in the final sprint, it was Aline Seitz, UTC/ButcherBox, quietly conserving energy while others chased primes, who surged ahead. With a well-timed and powerful kick, she overtook the frontrunners in the final hundred meters to claim her first American Criterium Cup victory—and the coveted red jersey as the series leader.

“I came here to have fun with my teammates, and that’s exactly what I’m doing,” Seitz said in her quintessential quiet calm at the finish. “It’s so cool to be the leader now—I can’t even believe it. The money is tempting, but the victory is even sweeter.”

A Paris 2024 Olympian for her native Switzerland on the track, Seitz noted the value of American criteriums in sharpening her speed and race instincts. “They’re fast and explosive—just like the track. This is perfect preparation.”

The men’s race followed a similarly unpredictable script. With $2,000 and $2,500 primes up for grabs in the final two laps, the field was fractured by attacks and counters. Amid the chaos, Will Hardin, Team Winston-Salem unleashed a last lap flyer which acted as a lead out for the strongmen of TOAD. Ben Oliver, MitoQ, launched a decisive sprint over the top of Hardin, narrowly outpacing Brody McDonald, Golden State Blazers, at the line.

The win marked Oliver’s fourth of this year’s Tour of America’s Dairyland but his first ever in the American Criterium Cup—a breakthrough moment after several close finishes in recent seasons.

“The boys cooked the last corner, and I didn’t want to go from that last corner, but I had momentum so I had to go for it,” Oliver said of his final sprint. “I tried to drill it from the right side and it was way too long from the last corner, but, woof, that must have been a close photo finish.”

“Once Keegan won the $2,000 prime I thought, ‘Well might as well go home now,’ but yeah the boys have been awesome. Not much was getting away today, this race knows how to keep it interesting with primes and points, so we had to throw everything at it to get on the podium today. To make it the top step was awesome.”

Men’s Results:

1. Ben Oliver — MitoQ

2. Brody McDonald — Golden State Blazers

3. Maurice Ballerstedt — Unattached

4. Cade Bickmore— Project Echelon

5. Danny Summerhill — L39ion of Los Angeles

Women’s Results:

1. Aline Seitz — UTC Butcherbox

2. Odette Lynch — Fearless Femme Racing p/b Robertet

3. Arielle Verhaaren — Automatic Racing

4. Makayla MacPherson — CCB p/b Levine Law Group

5. Marlies Mejias — Virginia’s Blue Ridge Twenty28

Logan Jones-Wilkins Contributed to this story. Photos by Mitchell Vincent.