At the Tour of Szeklerland, in Romania, in the first of the five scheduled stages, behind From the Valley, Daniel Skerl placed. This is one of the boys from the Cycling Team Friuli, the team managed by Renzo Boscolo, a breeding ground for many very promising youngstersDaniel is in his first year as an under-23, but has been at CTF for many years. Born in the border area, just 3 kilometers from Slovenia, he is a mix of many cultures, starting from his family: Colombian mother and "Austro-Hungarian" father, as he defines it.
Daniel, your family already has a great mix of cultures!
Yes,” he says with a laugh, “with my Colombian mother and my Italian father, for just a few kilometers, I had to deal with different cultures. Although I must admit that It's not something I've particularly noticed, also because where I live it's normalOf course, with my Colombian mother there are some differences compared to others, the biggest one is in the food: I eat a lot of rice, it's everywhere in Colombian dishes!
Your sports director Boscolo told us that you speak four languages…
Yes, Italian, English, Spanish, and Slovenian. I learned Spanish from my mother, while Italian is my native language.or Slovenian, instead, my family speaks it on my father's sideAs you can imagine my surname (Skerl, ed.) is not Italian, let's say that where I live, in Opicina, it became Italian a little late and consequently half of my family is Austro-Hungarian.
What is it like living so close to another country?
For me it's normal, I train often in Slovenia, I really like the streets and their peace and quietThey are much less congested and full of ups and downs, very useful for pushing hard and improving endurance. I never think about the border issue., for me it's as if it doesn't exist, I feel like I'm always within the same nation.
What schools did you attend?
I attended bilingual schools until middle school. Now I'm attending the technical and mechatronics institute in Trieste.
What city is Trieste?
It differs from normal Italian cities, and is very different even from other nearby cities, such as Verona, for example. Its architecture is in the style of Northeastern Europe, It is truly the definition of multiculturalism, it is its most fascinating feature.
How long have you been at CTF?
I started racing with them at G5, then I spent two years (2014 and 2015, ed.) at UC Pordenone. I have been working with them and the CTF Lab since 2016., they have always supported me well, I'm really satisfied with how things went. In the end, even in the two years at UC Pordenone they always monitored and observed me.
How did you get here so early?
You should know that Cycling Team Friuli has all categories. I used to ride for a small team near me that later folded. Renzo Boscolo knew the team's sporting director, so he brought me to him.
Does joining a team like CTF at such a young age help you grow better, perhaps by setting yourself goals?
Having a reference is important and very nice. I can say that I have met and having cycled with the guys who came out of the CTF and who are now among the professionals, like Aleotti and the brothers FuckLooking at them has always encouraged me to do better. You train thinking that you're in a team that allows you to enter the professional world. You have concrete examples of this before your eyes.
What do you think of your first year in the under-23s?
I'm happy, I thought I would have a little more difficulty, but instead I managed to get good placingsi. First at the Vicenza-Bionde and then also in Romania, a 2.2 race, therefore with a slightly higher level.
You also ran in the Adriatica Ionica Race. What differences did you find compared to Romania?
The AIR is tough, but I learned a lot about the cycling of the greats and it helped me understand what awaits me in the future. Riders who had just come out of the Giro d'Italia were arriving and the difference in their legs was clearly visible.Well, a race like the AIR allows you to grow and understand the cycling of the greats, whereas the Tour of Szeklerland is a perfect race to increase awareness.
Explain it to us carefully…
Doing races like this in Romania It allows you to grow and mature from a race management perspectiveThe level isn't too high, being a 2.2, so teams like ours are able to take control of the race and impose their own pace. In races like the AIR you are at the mercy of what happens, they are two different types of growth.
What kind of rider are you?
I think I'm a pretty fast rider, with good hill stamina. But on this last point I must and want to improve, also to broaden the range of competitions I can aspire to.I'm 77 meters tall and weigh 74 kilos, so I'm quite stocky, I'm not afraid of shouldering in a sprint.
