20ish Questions With Skyler Trujillo February 2013

How did you feel about your performance at Worlds?

• I feel I accomplished my goals i set out to do. I didn’t get as good of a result as i hoped for but with the competition that was there I think I really pulled a great race together.

Anything you could have done differently ?

• There were a few mistakes in the middle laps where I ended up rolling around in the mud a bit and if I would have kept my head on a little tighter I think I could have pulled off a few more spots

What were your goals going in?

• I Was starting 39th out of 43 people and my main goal was to reach into the top 30. whichIi made it up there at the end of the first lap but couldn’t hold it and was losing places till I finished in 36th

What happened to your bike on the last lap?

• I went around a off camber left hand turn and I am actually not sure how it happened but my  derailleur  got sucked into my spoked destroying the back end of the bike.

What do you think are the key reasons you were selected for the Worlds team?

• I think my consistency in High level races was my biggest contributor. As well as the fact that I have been to worlds before I was coming in with experience.

How many times have you been to CX Worlds?  MTB Worlds?

• I have been to CX and MTB Worlds two times each. Once as a Junior and one U-23 each

What is something you learned during your first Worlds that helped you during this most recent race?

• Learning how to race with all your strength for 40th place is something hard to do. It is hard to suffer for a 40th place but at a race like this ever spot counts even that far back so there is always a need to keep pushing

What is something you wish you had known during your first trip to Worlds?

• I wish I would have known how to prepare for a single race. I am good at getting ready for a season but only having one race to go and preforming at it is hard to put together.

Most memorable part of the race?

• When I came through the first lap and was in the top 30  like I wanted to be.

What do you remember about learning to ride a bike?

• I just remember it was way easier than learning to walk.

What or who inspired you to pursue competitive cycling?

• I am in a great situation where everyone in my life is always so supportive and everyone pushes me to get better.

Tell us about the first bike you ever raced on…

• My first race bike was a blue 16 inch wheeled BMX bike. I am pretty sure i could go out in the garage and find it in a matter of minutes here 16 years later.

Tell us about your current “ride”?   What makes it special or unique?

• The Boo’s were beautiful pieces of art. And I feel what made them special was the ability to take a natural product and turn it into a machine that can compete with anything man has made so far.

Tell us about your dream bike…

• I could never pick just one dream bike. I need a bike for every situation i will every encounter. The perfect bike is having them all.

What do you wish the bike companies would invent?

• an a 11 speed cassette that doesn’t have 6 tooth jumps. Just make it a 10-38… not 10-42

What advice would you give to a young person just starting to race?

• That it is just about having fun. If you want to be a competitive racer you need to love riding your bike. Biking is such a disciplined sport and so much time is needed to be spent in the saddle. If you don’t like doing it you won’t be doing it for long. if you are having fun then you are winning.

What music gets you ready to race?

• I am a big fan of pop music to pump me up like Taylor Swift and such.

What is your favorite racing memory?

• My favorite moment racing was when i started the JR MTB world Championship and got the whole shot so for 30 seconds i was world champ on the course.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment and why?

• My greatest accomplishment racing was when i finally got my first National Title in MTB. It just finally showed me all the work i did and how it was paying off.

What motivates you when you feel like you can’t turn the crank one more time?

• Most the time if i am in that situation i am trying to get back home and don’t feel that good. So i just think about good food and hot shower to just survive home.

What are some things you do to help your sponsors gain more publicity?

• I just try to be a good ambassador for the sport and my sponsors. I wasn’t to show that this is the kind of people they develop and just try to be a friendly person. getting stuff like this don’t in a timely fashion would help

What is the key to a great start in a race?  What are some of the ways you have overcome poor starts?

• I tend to have good start. I don’t know if i am just lucky and get the gaps I need or if I make it happen. But a good start means the only place to go is down and a bad start you can only go up. I always feel way stronger and better when I am passing rather than being past

How important have your parents been in your racing career?

• They have been my Racing Career so far. Without them I would not be racing a bike, end of story.

What are your goals in the longer-term future?

• My biggest goal is just to make it as a professional cyclist. This will take a combination of great season

Favorite Fort Collins “kill ya” ride?

• I would say the White Pine climb and old flowers loop up by stove prairie

How old is “old”?

• Great cyclist don’t get old until there like 40. And now we still got people like Ned Overend who will come and through the stomp on me from time to time and he is like 150.

You just signed with Team Jamis, dude, that’s pretty big. Both MTB and Cross?  How is that gonna change your season?

• All i love about bikes is brought out in racing. Racing year around for me is the best thing i can possibly do because without the racing i have no motivation to train and while i am racing there is no way i can’t train because i need to be fast. I am super excited to see what opportunities will come up in the next few years for me. As far as my racing career goes i just lined up at the start.

   

   

  Jennifer Brooks contributed to this interview.