A big powerhouse of a rider, Saturn's Trent Klasna dominated the domestic racing scene in 2001, with victories at Redlands, Sea Otter, the US National Time Trial Championship, and first place in both the US Pro Cycling Tour and the National Racing Calendar point series. He is a strong climber, a powerful time trialist, and a natural leader on the road. His aggressive racing style makes him one of the most exciting riders to watch on the US circuit.

2002 was a quiet year on the bike for Trent, who struggled with back pain from an old injury sustained in a run-in with a car years ago; but if it was a quiet year on the bike, it was a busy one in his personal life. In 2002, he married his wife, Tracy, and the two of them spent the year on the road, before settling down in a new house in the fortuitously named Cool, CA, at the end of last season.

The slow year hasn’t taken the shine off the job; Trent still loves to race his bike. He’s looking forward to a strong season with a great team in 2003. The Daily Peloton caught up with Trent not long ago at Saturn’s training camp and got his thoughts on the upcoming season.

Trent Klasna rides in Buellton

So, in 2001, you were pretty much the US Cycling rockstar, with back to back victories at Redlands and Sea Otter, and winding up the year as the top man in both the PCT and the NRC, but you had a slower season last year, suffering from an old back injury, and a lot of changes in your life: getting married, buying a house...

Lots of changes for the better!

My wife and I were just talking about this the other day, and I’ve been contemplating... I’ve been working with my back, and doing everything I can to get it as good as it can be, considering it’s been broken, and all my other injuries... But, the bottomline is, I love racing my bike, and I love racing for the Saturn Cycling Team. I want to get back to that rock star status... I really like the publicity. I like being in the limelight. My wife and I were talking that if I just quit cycling now, I wouldn’t be giving 100%, because it’s something I love, and I just wouldn’t be happy.

I mean, I don’t have to win every race, but I want to be a factor to where if I don’t win the race, I’m helping the team to win the race. I want to do whatever I can to get back into that form.

Even so, you were incredibly strong on a lot of occasions last year...

Yeah, but not too many people saw that, including my boss. Which is unfortunate. I didn’t have as good a year as I did the year before by any means, but I sure tried in a bunch of races. At Redlands, Philadelphia and San Francisco, I made it happen with a lot of pain that a lot of people wouldn’t even start the race with. I just love racing, and with the training part, you just have to work hard.

Saturn’s poster boy.

Having an off year doesn’t take the shine off the job for you?

No. Not at all. It just makes me want to come back and get back to that energy I had before. I just can’t wait for this camp to be over for the fact that everyone’s racing out here, and it seems like some guys have a lot to prove, a lot of the young guys, and I’m just not sure that here is the place you have to prove it, I mean, you’re on this team for a reason. Proving it to us is not reallythe reason.

Today I just kind of felt like I’d had enough of racing up and down these darned hills. I just can’t wait to get home and start doing my 600 mile weeksd by myself... That’s what I used to do before. Although, I was just talking to my wife, and she says it’s pouring rain right now at home... so it makes me appreciate being here right now, too!

The thing is, I’m just not done cycling. A lot of people keep trying and trying... when I’m done, I’ll be done, but I’m not done now.

Looking at the Saturn team this year, a lot of people are wondering how it’s going to come together, with so many stars on the team who are accustomed to winning races, and being that guy the team looks to for victory. Particularly you, Chris Horner and Charles Dionne. The worry is, there are a lot of egos here...

There are a lot of egos here for sure, but the bottomline for me is, I don’t even have to be the winner. I don’t care about myself winning, as long as I’m helping the team win, that’s all that really matters to me. I mean last year, it was clear that we needed someone else to be winning races, because if I wasn’t winning like I did the year prior, there wasn’t a whole lot of winning going on. There were some great races, I mean, Ivan Dominguez in NY, and some other races...

But, Chris Horner and I are old friends, and I’ll help Chris win any race. If he’s not winning, and I’m not winning, hopefully there will be someone else to step up.

Trent discovers the greatest love of all.

So, you don’t foresee a clash of the titans?

No, especially not between me and Chris. I don’t think so with Charles, either. I mean, Charles and I have battled before, and gotten into some pretty good fights out there in the races...

But he’s a different kind of a rider than you are, as well. He’s not maybe as much of a GC guy as you are.

Yeah, but he’s not the guy you’d expect in San Francisco, either. I don’t think you can count Charles out... But this team is not just three guys, either. There aren’t just three egos on this team by any means! There are a lot more egos! There’s a lot of young blood on this team, and guys with the potential to win any race. I mean, really, I think this team can win any race out there. I guarantee that we aren’t going to win ‘em all, but we have the potential.

So, of the young blood, who do you think is going to really turn some heads this year?

Tom Danielson is a phenomenal climber. He’s young and has a lot of improving to do, working on his bike handling skills, so that he can be in the right position to go up the mountains...

He’s just starting out on the road...

He started on mountain bikes. He’s been doing that for a couple of years. He’s a young guy, and just graduated from college, which is an incredible accomplishment as well... And there’s Phil Zajicek, who’s my roommate here, and I’m really getting to know him, and he’s a really neat guy.

Klasna & Zajicek.

He’s got some good socks!

Yeah, I’m not so sure about those socks. Everyone’s saying to me “How can you let your roomate go out in those socks?” Unfortunately, I left the room before he put those on and wasn’t able to say “No, Phil, we can’t go out in those socks.”

They were especially good once he had taken the knee warmers off... I liked that look.

Yeah, see, I’m just the opposite, I though it was ok until the knee warmers came off... but it certainly was a bold statement on his part.

Charles Dionne is a young guy, too. He’s going to win some races this year. Everybody on the team has a lot of potential, as long as we all pull together as a team, we’re going to win races. I just can’t wait to get started racing, but I’m glad I’m not going to Malaysia personally, there’s guys are riding a lot better than I am right now.

You need some more time to get back to form?

Yeah... it’s been, not really a hectic winter, but I’ve been working on my back, working on my house, and definitely doing a lot of training. I’ve lifted like, I dunno, 23 tons of sand, stone and rock at my house, moving it around, so I’ve been doing some good back workouts!

Klasna and Frischkorn at bike camp.

At your new house?

Yeah, in Cool, CA.

What a great name!

Yeah, it’s perfect for me.

Is everything going well with you new house, and wife and your dogs?

Yeah, I’m very happy. It’s just another chapter that just keeps going... I mean, now we want kids.

Really? What’s your time schedule on that?

Oh, there’s no specific schedule. We’re just practicing! If it happens, it happens. A lot of people make sure it can’t happen, and that’s not the case here at all. If it happens it would be great.

How about that motorhome from last season? Retired?

I’ve got it still! I just talked to Brian Lopes out there and asked him if he wanted to trade my motorhome for his van... that’s what I want, something that’s a little more accessible, so you can really get around. That’s what I want.

Saturn bikes

Yeah, you told me at some point last year that it wasn’t that great being on the road because it was harder to find good reliable training...

Yeah, it was definitely difficult trying to train in different places all the time, without a home base. Training up around my house is probably some of the best training I’ve ever done, as far as living there. I mean, you can always find neat rides here and there when you go to different places, but the variety up there is amazing, and it might be a little too hilly for a lot of people, but it’s good. I’m derfinitely excited about having a home base, and not be living in the motorhome. Motorhomes, I think, are meant for shorter periods, not for a year long stint, or for people trying to race a bike full time.

I’m still excited to use it again, though, and will in a couple of weeks, going down to all the early season races in a couple of weeks.

Are you still training with Steve Hegg?

I am, but I haven’t heard from him in a little while, and I’m kind of wondering if he’s ok! I wonder if he’s given up on me! No, I know he hasn’t given up, but he has a lot going on in his life. His wife is expecting a baby, and they just bought a new house, too.

So, what are your goals for this season?

Well, I made myself a deal that if I could win Redlands, I could afford to buy myself a tractor, and if I don’t win Redlands, I don’t get to buy the tractor, so...

A tractor for what?

I want to start a vinyard, and an organic garden in my yard, because I’ve got a couple of acres... But I know Horner wants to win Redlands, too, because no one’s ever won it three times, which I just found out last night... so that’s a conflict in a sense, but don’t get me wrong; as long as one of us wins the race, that’s what’s important, but that’s just something I put on myself. Redlands is a great race, and a great one to start out with. After Redlands, there’s the Tour de Georgia races, those will be great, even though I haven’t see the courses. Then there’s Philadelphia, which I’ve missed in the past, but I still want before I’m done with the sport.

My other goal is to make the Olympics. That’s the goal I first got started with in this whole crazy world. Back in 1989 I met Bob Mionske, who was staying at my mom’s house, and ever since then, that’s been my goal the entire time. I figure I still have another year.

”That’s me on the truck!”

You’ve helped other guys make the Olympics before...

Yeah, I’ve helped Steve Hegg and Tony Cruz make the Olympics. They’re great guys, and they deserved to go, so I’m glad, but maybe this year will be my year.

Well, I hope you do make it. Good luck with that. I hope you have a great year.

Thanks. Yeah. A lot of people ask ask me about last year, did I have a good year, or did I not have a good year, but I look back at Redland’s last year and I think I probably had the best Redlands I ever had. I had Chris Horner and his whole entire team on the ropes single-handedly at times, but in the end it just didn’t work out. If I can go to Redlands and have anything like the form I had last year, and go with Chris and this great team, I think we’re going to be hard to beat. I’d almost put money on it.

There are a lot of good teams this year...

There should be some great battles out there. Definitely!