Motivating that Danny Stam still believes in me
For the second time, Team SD Worx – Protime embraces American cyclist Skylar Schneider. From 2018 to 2020, she competed for Boels-Dolmans, after which she rode for American club team Williams Racing Development professionally for four years under L39ion of Los Angeles and the Miami Blaze. Last summer, she contacted the team herself to say that at 26, she is now ready for a European cycling season.
Sports manager Danny Stam thus previously worked with Schneider, who has signed a one-year contract with Team SD Worx – Protime for 2025. ‘In 2018, she was only 19 when she moved to Sittard from the American Cycling Federation,’ Stam says. ‘Skylar was tipped to us through the American federation. I tasted during that period that she was constantly homesick. That definitely affected her performance at the time. When her contract expired, she herself expressed her desire to return to the States to develop further. That’s when her American character immediately came to the fore. She immediately said that when she was ready, she would come back to the team.’
In the four intervening years, Schneider has won many criteriums in the US. ‘Winning keeps winning, you have to have certain qualities for that. I think she can be of great value in the lead-out for Lorena Wiebes, but can also grow further. In terms of character she fits the team and I am also convinced that physically she has the ‘engine’ to compete at the highest level.’
‘I am super excited about this new step in my career and life,’ says Skylar Schneider. ‘I have learnt a lot since my first stint with the team. I was very young then and got the chance to compete in a lot of different races. The atmosphere in the team was good, but I made the mistake of not asking for help when I needed it. Especially during the COVID period. So I returned to the United States, where I opened a bakery with my sister in 2022. As I was baking at night, I watched all of the women’s races happening over Europe. Then it became clear to me: ‘racing is what sets me on fire’, racing is what makes my heart beat faster. It became clear to me that I had to pursue my dream. I rode mostly criteriums in the US, which gave me a lot of confidence.’
photo credit: (c) Kit Karzen & Getty Images
‘I tried to get my foot in the door again by doing some racing in Europe. I was selected for two World Championships and won the Pan-American title. At some point it became clear to me that I wanted to go all-in. Then I contacted Danny Stam again. I expected him to say no when I called him in 2023, but he was happy to hear from me. We made the plan to wait a year and work towards 2025, which seemed like the best approach. Last February, I already joined the team at training camp. In the meantime, I worked with the team’s nutritionist, Shara. I plan to live in Girona where there are a lot of cyclists, so I won’t be isolated again. I have learnt a lot from the things I might have done wrong as a young athlete.’
‘The fact that Danny Stam still believes in me gives a confidence boost. I am hugely motivated now that I feel he still sees my potential. I realise it will be a tough year, but I want to prove that I deserve the trust. I want to learn from the best riders in the world. I love sprinting and I love performing under pressure. Thanks to my background in riding American criteriums, I am good at positioning. I can also handle short climbs. I hope to ride a mix of classic races and stage races. The ultimate goal is to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. That’s a dream scenario.’
Top Photo- Christy Nicholson / EchelonDesignPhoto.com
