It’s go time. Thursday evening kicks off the Tour of America’s Dairyland, and with it begins two months of fast, intense, frantic racing.

ToAD made its debut last season and although turnout was smaller than I had expected, it was well received and very professionally run. Word of mouth goes a long way, so this year should be even better. It will be some of our first exposure to national-level pros on both the men’s and women’s sides, including Bahati Foundation and Kenda, and it will draw some of the region’s best amateurs, too.

I’ve not done been to all the venues myself, but here are a few noteworthy stages:

• » Giro d’Grafton, Saturday, June 19. If it’s possible for a criterium to be a queen stage, this would be it. The race has a good track record for being fast and spectator-friendly. Expect a huge turnout for the twilight P/1/2 race, which boasts a $9,000 purse and this year joins the USA CRITS Championship Series.
• » Road America Road Race, Monday, June 21. After the spring races in Joliet and South Beloit, we should be experts in motorway race courses. This is an interesting one, a 4.4-mile, snaking course with some not-insignificant climbs. Here’s a video preview.
• » Greenbush Road Race, Thursday, June 24. It’s too bad we don’t return to the popular and challenging Blue Mounds course, but this could be the next best thing. Hopefully the race will live up to the dramatic soundtrack that Peloton-Pix used to accompany its video preview.
• » Downer Classic, Saturday, June 26. The Downer Avenue course has long been a centerpiece of Superweek, and it now does double duty with ToAD. Unlike Superweek, ToAD’s edition will have a full slate of amateur racing, and the primes will be enormous. The Ben’s Cycle Ultra Prime may even trump the overall purse, which will make the P/1/2 race super fun to watch.

ToAD is a big, big deal, but don’t forget Saturday’s Cobb Park Criterium in Kankakee, right near the one-time home of former Gov. George Ryan. It’s a fun triangle of a course, with a long, shallow climb between Turns 1 and 2, a quick chicane between 2 and 3, and then a flat run along the Kankakee River in the homestretch.

Thursday through Sunday, June 27 Tour of America’s Dairyland USAC criteriums and road races Various Wisconsin locations Previous wrap-ups: 2009 I, 2009 II

Saturday Cobb Park Criterium USAC criterium Kankakee, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 1.5 hours Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008, 2009