Team Type 1

I have to post this because it's too cool! My husband Tom is on Team Type 1. For those of you that don't know about it, Team Type 1 was created in 2004 by Phil Southerland and Joe Eldridge, a pair of avid cyclists with Type 1 diabetes. In 2006 and 2007, Team Type 1 won back-to-back victories in the eight-person team division of the Race Across America (RAAM). In 2008, the team grew to become a 15-rider Continental team that included four riders with Type 1 diabetes.

This year, Team Type 1 is growing again – in addition to the pro men's squad, they have a triathlon team (which the hubby is on), a developmental squad, a women's professional squad and two teams for RAAM: Team Type 1 and Team Type 2. The Type 1 athletes in these programs strive to instill hope and inspiration for people around the world affected by diabetes. The teams not only race, but work hard to spread the message of controlling of diabetes through diet, exercise and the use of the best treatment and technology available today.

The pro bike team is awesome though. I'm talking super studs! They are racing in the Tour of California starting this coming weekend. For those of you that know anything about biking, the names Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, Floyd Landis, Christian Vande Velde, David Zabriskie and Ivan Basso should ring a bell, as well as teams like Astana, Columbia Highroad, Garmin-Slipstream, Quick Step and Rabo Bank. These are some of the big names of the Tour of California, and Team Type 1 will be right in the mix! They might be quiet underdogs, but don't let that fool you. Some of their wins last year include:

• A rider finish first overall in the Tour of Arkansas.
• The team took first overall and a rider finished first overall in the Vuelta Mexico.
• The team took first overall and a rider finished first in the sprint classification in the Tour de Beauce.
• A rider took first overall in the KOM competition in the Tour of Ireland and Jayco Herald Sun Tour.
• The team finished second overall in the Tour of Langkawi
• The team finished third overall in the Tour de Georgia.
• The team includes two Olympians, representing New Zealand and Mexico.
• Forty-five victories overall and 100 podium finishes overall.

S. T. U. D. S.

Watch them on Versus starting February 14th. Cheer for them! Hell, even go to http://www.versus.com/cyclysm to vote for them as the favorite US team to win the Tour of California. (They are currently in 3rd out of 10 teams)

Team's Website: www.teamtype1.org