Hill, Thrills, and Omnium Triumph: My La Crosse Adventure

By: Camille Wirkus

The La Crosse Omnium could be one of my all-time favorite races, and the fact that it takes place in my home state makes it all the better. This three-day event, located in and around La Crosse, Wisconsin, attracts fierce competitors from around the Midwest and beyond (see: Matteo Jorgenson Omnium Win from 2017). The La Crosse Omnium was my first multi-day bike race back in 2023 and is when I truly began to fall in love with cycling. I was extremely bummed to miss this race in 2024 due to a knee injury, but circled the weekend right away for my 2025 race calendar. The format of this race (time trial, road race, and crit) has a little something for everyone, and if you have not participated in the La Crosse Omnium, I encourage you to sign up in 2026!

Time Trial

The first day is a 2.4-mile time trial (doesn’t sound too bad, right? Wrong…). Although short, this time trial climbs Grandad’s Bluff, gaining 550 ft in those short 2.4 miles. The first quarter mile averages ~10% (with a max of ~14% grade) and sends your legs lactic instantly. I learned the hard way in 2023 that pacing is very important in this race. The last section of the TT is rolling, so you want to leave enough in the tank to keep your speed. I was happy to PR in the TT and end up on the top step for the P1/2/3 Women. Jakroo made the coolest jerseys for the weekend, and I collected the QOM Jersey for Day 1.

Road Race

Hopefully the climb up Grandad’s Bluff leaves you hungry for more climbing, because the Road Race on Day 2 is anything but flat. Racers make their way to Chaseburg, WI, a town outside of La Crosse, for a scenic road race. Living on the outskirts of the Driftless, I have learned to enjoy the grind of climbing and honestly favor races where there are hills. Each lap of the Road Race is ~14 miles with ~1,100 ft of elevation gain. The P1/2/3 Women raced 4 laps, totaling ~58 miles and over 4,000 ft of elevation gain. I have Carbs Fuel drink mix to thank for fueling me. I didn’t have all that detailed of a plan going into the race other than push hard up the climb on laps 3 and 4. I stuck to this plan and was able to help initiate a split in the field up the climb on lap 3. This dwindled the group to ~5–6 riders. We worked together for the remainder of lap 3 and the beginning of lap 4 until we hit the climb again. As I came to the front on the climb, I started to push hard again. Unfortunately, a dropped chain and a touch of wheels took some of the field down on the climb of the 4th lap. I was lucky to be ahead of this and continued pushing up the hill. I was able to hold the chase group off for a 1st-place finish in the Road Race. This race also doubled as the Wisconsin State Road Race, and I am extremely proud to be coming home with that title. I also collected another phenomenal Jakroo Jersey—this one being a neon-green Leaders Jersey.

Criterium

If you aren’t a climber, that’s okay. The final day of the La Crosse Omnium is for you! This classic four-corner crit is in downtown La Crosse and runs next to the Mississippi River. Our small but mighty field (s/o Speed Queens) kept this crit fast and spicy, with multiple attacks being launched. With the direction of the wind, attempts at a break were unsuccessful, and as the lap cards counted down, I knew it would end in a sprint. This had me worried because sprinting is not my strong suit, and there were some very strong sprinters in the field. I needed to finish relatively close to the front to ensure that I would keep the omnium lead. If you have raced this crit before, you know that the wheel that comes out of the 4th corner first is typically the wheel that crosses the finish line first. Although the straightaway to the finish is long, the wind makes it difficult to come around anyone in that final stretch. I managed to come around the corner ~3–4 wheel and finished P3 for the crit, securing my Omnium lead. I zipped up the Jakroo Omnium Champion Jersey feeling extremely proud of my effort and excited for the remainder of the season with Apex.

GOOO Apex!!