Throw a sport in the mix and it's bona fide challenge.

Warrnambool's Louis O'Callaghan is juggling year 11 studies with a jam-packed cycling schedule.

But the 17-year-old can see the light at the end of the tunnel. O'Callaghan will travel to Bendigo on Sunday for the final round of the Victorian Interschool Cycling Series.

"I'm definitely looking forward to it. I'm trying to psych myself up but not over-hype it," he told The Standard.

"It's definitely one of my main races, one I've targeted. I raced it last year and thought I wanted to target it this year.

"Exams are only starting to ramp up now so I'll probably have a break after this weekend and focus on them properly."

O'Callaghan finished second while racing the Geelong and Ballarat legs of the series.

The passionate criterium cyclist is now determined to go one better.

"I just missed out, not by much," the Emmanuel College student said.

"The boys I've been racing with are a bit older, as I'm bottom of the age group. I'm racing against guys who are 18.

"They're a lot bigger, some of the boys. I'm quite small compared to them. You get there and go 'ah' sometimes.

"You never know though. Sometimes they're straight out the back and they can stick with you. You have to tell yourself 'you've got this' and have that motivation to say 'it doesn't matter what these guys look like'.

"You just have to go full bickies and hope for the best."

The South West Academy of Sport athlete said Tower Hill cyclist and Port Fairy Cycling Club member Cadel Howie was a strong chance in the under 15 age bracket.

Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.