Taylor Phinney has a lot going on these days. Earlier this year, the 17-year-old clinched a spot on the U.S. Olympic track cycling team roster with strong finishes in the World Cup Series, capped off with a champion title in the 4,000-meter individual pursuit in Los Angeles. 

Last month, Phinney missed his Boulder High School graduation ceremony bike racing in Europe, winning the time trial at the four-day, five-stage Pays du Vaud in Switzerland. His winning time of 12:10 over an 8.9 km course was at an average speed of over 27 mph.

Next month, he’s headed to South Africa to defend his 2007 Junior World Champion status in the individual time trial. Then it’s off to France for track camp for the remainder of July. In August, Phinney will contest the individual pursuit for the U.S. Olympic team in Beijing.

Fresh from track training camp last week, where he set a junior world record in the 3,000-meter individual pursuit, Phinney took a moment to unwind with Rocky Mountain Sports on the day before his 18^th birthday. We were joined by Phinney’s coach, Neal Henderson.

RMS: So, tomorrow is your birthday. Any plans?

Phinney: Well I was going to go go-carting with some friends, but decided it was a little too dangerous. So I’ve got some intervals to do instead.

RMS: You’re doing an interval workout on your birthday?

Henderson (laughing): Yes, he’s doing 18 of them.

Phinney: And I’m going to The Kitchen for dinner, with my family and my girlfriend.

RMS: You’ll be 18, so you’ll be able to vote in November.

Phinney: True dat. Obama. Viva Obama.

RMS: Where’s your favorite place to ride?

Phinney: Probably where I lived in Italy - Marostica. Around here, pretty much anywhere. I like riding through campus (smirks at Henderson).

RMS: Campus? But it’s so congested with hoards of girls walking in the bike path with their back to you!

Phinney: Exactly.

RMS: What CD is currently in your car stereo?

Phinney: Well I don’t use CDs anymore.

RMS: iPod?

Phinney: Yes. I really like Cold Play actually. So you can put the new Cold Play album which is called "Viva La Vida." I have a friend who tattooed Viva La Vida onto his back, which is funny because he’s a really macho guy and he did it before the Cold Play album came out. So I see a picture of it on his MySpace and I’m like, “Dude, I didn’t know you were such a hard core Cold Play fan.” He’s like, “I’m not! I hate Coldplay!”

RMS: Do you like to read?

Phinney: Read?

RMS: (laughing) Yeah, like books.

Phinney: (laughing) Not like the backs of cereal boxes? Yes. I read on occasion. I just read Bringing Down the House. The movie 21 was based on it. It’s a blackjack movie. That was a pretty good book. And then I was reading the Tucker Max book. It apparently is a best seller, but it’s a pretty racy book. My Dad actually read it too.

RMS: So you’re sharing racy books with your Dad?

Phinney: (laughing). Well, it was recommended to me while I was over in Europe with a bunch of guys and so I started reading it. It was pretty ridiculous. Then I get back, and my Dad, we’re out on this ride, and my Dad’s like (lowers his tone), “Son, I’m reading this book (laughter). There’s this crazy story in it.” I’m like, “Are you reading the Tucker Max book?” He’s like, “Yeah! Do you know what that is?” (laughter). I was like, “Yes father.”

RMS: What’s your favorite meal?

Phinney: I like pesto pasta a lot. My mom makes good pesto pasta.

RMS: When did you start shaving your legs?

Phinney: I think I was 14.

RMS: Who taught you?

Phinney: Myself. I was actually in an abbey in France, like where nuns stayed, that had been converted into a hotel. All I remember is being in the bathroom shaving my legs in the sink with my Dad’s electric razor. I knew you were supposed to trim the long hairs first before you shaved, but I didn’t know you turned the clippers on to do that, so I was just ripping the prongs up my leg thinking, ow, this is so painful! I was basically just going along and ripping each hair out (laughing).

RMS: (laughing) Wait, did you even have it turned on?

Phinney: No, I didn’t. I didn’t even know that’s what you were supposed to do.

RMS: You weren’t racing yet at that time, but you just decided your leg hair had to go?

Phinney: Your legs look so much better when they’re shaved.

RMS: Do you have any pre-race rituals?

Phinney: (laughing). Neal taught me a rain dance ritual.

RMS: Seriously, there has to be something.

Phinney: Um, no. I usually eat some sort of pasta the night before and then usually try to sleep a lot, that’s my main ritual. Do I look a quirky person to you?

RMS: No. You seem really laid back. What do you like best about racing?

Phinney: Winning.

RMS: What about winning?

Phinney: There’s no feeling that can compare to winning a bike race. Except maybe winning a running race or some other kind of race (laughing). But that’s why I race: to win. And it’s that feeling of knowing that you’re going to win and winning at the same time.

RMS: When did you know you were going to the Olympics?

Phinney: I’d say my breakthrough track moment was when I was in Beijing in December and I got 4th in a World Cup.

RMS: What did you do to celebrate, once it became official?

Phinney: (Reaches over and connects fists with Henderson). This. It was like, good job Taylor, sweet, now the real work begins. We had a party after I won the World Championships, but we haven’t had any parties since then.