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WORS 2022 Series Preview

The Wisconsin Off-Road Series (WORS), America’s Largest State Mountain Bike Racing Series, is set to return in 2022 with a slate of eight races and new series management.

After thirty years at the helm, WORS founder Don Edberg has retired, with Trek Bicycles stepping in to manage and operate the series that has been established as one of the best in the nation’s heartland.

Tens of thousands have raced the storied series since its inception in 1992, and Trek will look to build on the high-standard racing experience that Don has built and racers have come to expect. Throughout the years, WORS has become well known for its large fields, festive atmosphere, and inclusive environment that welcomes riders of all abilities and backgrounds.

With the last stubborn snowbanks melting away and temperatures beginning to flirtatiously tease summer, the 2022 season is now right around the corner. In the first season of this new WORS era we are anticipating high turnout, fast racing, and hundreds of smiling faces. We hope you join us for the fun!

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As it has often done before, the season kicks off in style at the Iola Bump n Jump. There’s nowhere better to get started than the venue with the famous start loop that takes riders up the ski hill and immediately back down into the bowl. After a cold and wet spring, this event will be the first chance for many Midwest riders to show off their early-season form.

Racing then heads south to Fall River, WI for the Englewood Open. Held in conjunction with the Englewood Open UCI race, expectations are for some of the fastest racing of the season. Hosted at the family-owned Englewood Grass Farm, riders will not only be treated to an incredible course, but also a stunning venue.

A staple of WORS is the Battle of Cam Rock, and it comes third on the calendar this year, taking place in mid-June on the doorstep of meteorological summer. Just a short drive from Madison, this race has seen some of the biggest fields in recent years and for good reason. Riders can expect fast singletrack and picturesque prairies while spectators can expect great viewing in both.

The series then heads to the belly of the beast. In the last half-decade Trek Headquarters have transformed into the epicenter of Wisconsin bike racing. Hosting an annual edition of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup, welcoming thousands of high school athletes to the NICA State Championships, and now home to a mid-season premiere WORS event, Waterloo has established itself as a homebase for the biggest bike races around. Taking place on the otherwise private Trek trails, this is sure to be one of the biggest parties of the year.

The weather tends to get even hotter in July, but so does the bike racing, which next moves to the outskirts of Milwaukee for the Colectivo Coffee Bean Classic. Held in Minooka Park, the race is increasingly mentioned as a favorite by riders that have been racing WORS for years.

That event is followed two weeks later by the Mount Morris Challenge, held at the eponymous ski area just southeast of Stevens Point. At a venue that once hosted the WORS flagship Subaru Cup, riders can expect a fast course with fun, punchy singletrack that crisscrosses the ski runs.

The Green Bay area is on the map with the series’ seventh race, Refo Ramble. The penultimate race of the year, racing will be close to its best with a full summer of riding behind most riders.

Closing out the season is the Lake Geneva based Treadfest. Series Overall top positions will be on the line as riders battle it out to either maintain or make a charge at a series overall podium spot. August racing is often some of the best of the entire year, and this is likely to be no exception at a rider-favorite venue with some of the best singletrack around.

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You won’t find mountains here in Wisconsin. But you will find some of the best mountain bike racing in the nation. The Midwest has always punched above its weight as a hotbed of American cycling. Mountain bike enthusiasts have built a cycling culture here that rivals anywhere in the country with great access, wickedly fun trails, and, best of all, a special community of awesome people.

The events around here are so successful in large part because they have these ingredients to work with. But another factor is a deep pool of talented race organizers – Don Edberg being among the very best of them.

At the helm of each race this year is a Race Director included in this pool of talent. Over the years, they have each established their event as a must-hit race. I look forward to working with them to tie together the overall series and ensure that the best mountain bike racing in the country is here in the Midwest.

We’ve got a great season in store for WORS in 2022. Registration for the series is open, and Iola is now only weeks away! Hope to see you out there.