Cycling and diabetes tips from Team Novo Nordisk

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Matt Cycle said:
TNN are hoping to have a team ready and get an entry for the 2021 TdF to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin. Compared with all the other pro cycling teams their choice of riders is limited as they are all Type 1 diabetics. They are looking for any young diabetic endurance athletes to train and become part of the TdF squad. Er well, I would have put myself forward of course but I'm just a bit old (only a bit mind you). 😉🙄

http://www.teamnovonordisk.com/join-us-on-our-journey/
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I'm probably (definitely!) too old, and I can't ride a bike, plus I'm Type Weird, so /i don't think I'd qualify! 😱 The TdF is an astonishing endurance event, so the fact you have T1s able to do it is a massive example to me of what you can achieve, and that diabetes doesn't have to stand in your way 🙂
 
Well it doesn't say you have to be able to ride a bike (although I would imagine that would help 😉) just that you are an endurance athlete. I guess they'll then do all the relevant training with you.

It would be fantastic if they do get in the TdF in 2021 as it would raise the profile of the team and T1 diabetes enormously. As a pro continental team they would have to rely on a wildcard entry but as they are already in the process of building a potential team for it I suspect they may already have a good idea they'll get in. 🙂
 
A couple of videos about TNN, this first one is a look behind the scenes looking at nutrition, management etc. They all wear CGMs but it shows one of the riders using an Accuchek Mobile. As much as I admire Phil Southerland I'm not sure anyone would think getting diabetes is the best thing that happened to them even if they do get to ride for the team. 😱


This second video is an interview with Brian Kamstra, one of the TNN pro riders.

 
TNN are currently competing in the 8 stage Tour of California. The race attracts some big names as those who don't wish to take part in the 3 week grand tour Giro d'Italia (on at the same time) will use the ToC as preparation for the TdF.

After the third stage the highest placed TNN rider was Javier Megias in a fantastic 16th place.
Stage 4 has just finished and looks like Javier Megias will still be around 16th.

Well done and continued good luck to all the TNN riders.

http://www.teamnovonordisk.com/2016-amgen-tour-of-california-3/
 
Matt Cycle said:
TNN are currently competing in the 8 stage Tour of California. The race attracts some big names as those who don't wish to take part in the 3 week grand tour Giro d'Italia (on at the same time) will use the ToC as preparation for the TdF.

After the third stage the highest placed TNN rider was Javier Megias in a fantastic 16th place.
Stage 4 has just finished and looks like Javier Megias will still be around 16th.

Well done and continued good luck to all the TNN riders.

http://www.teamnovonordisk.com/2016-amgen-tour-of-california-3/
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After Stage 5 Javier Megias is in 14th place. 🙂 Stage 6 today is a 20.3 km (12.6 mile) individual time trial.

(For those not aware - Team Novo Nordisk is a professional cycling team - all the riders (and a lot of the staff) are T1 diabetics.)
 
After yesterday's individual time trial at the Tour of California Javier Megias is now in 16th position. Still a fantastic achievement so far against some of the worlds best. Only two stages to go - tonight's hilly stage (109 miles or 175 km) starts and ends in Santa Rosa and tomorrow's final stage in Sacramento is a shorter stage at 85 miles or 136 km. Good luck to Javier and the rest of the team.
 
Great result for the team at the final stage as Javier Megias gained a couple of places and finished overall in 14th position. 🙂 This was against some of the worlds best including Peter Sagan, Mark Cavendish and Sir Bradley.
 
Matt Cycle said:
Great result for the team at the final stage as Javier Megias gained a couple of places and finished overall in 14th position. 🙂 This was against some of the worlds best including Peter Sagan, Mark Cavendish and Sir Bradley.
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A massive achievement even for a non-diabetic! 🙂 Inspiring stuff! 🙂
 
Another request from TNN for endurance athletes with T1 to compete for them in the 2021 TdF. They are also hoping to compete in one of the other two grand tours (Giro D'Italia or Vuelta D'Espana) on route to the 2021 TdF. The next stop for them is the Tour de Pologne (Tour of Poland) on 12th July - the first time they will have competed in a World Tour stage race after receiving a wildcard entry. Unfortunately it will probably not get as much publicity as it's on at the same time as this year's TdF because of the Rio Olympics.

http://www.teamnovonordisk.com/road-to-the-tour-de-france/
 
First day of the World Tour stage race, the Tour de Pologne for the TNN boys with wet conditions making it a tricky ride. They have all been given a time of 9 seconds behind the leader. Good luck to all the TNN riders.

http://www.teamnovonordisk.com/tour-de-pologne-1
 
With most of the focus on the TdF and Chris Froome running (yes, running) up Mont Ventoux on today's finish the TNN boys are still plugging away at the Tour de Pologne. Weather conditions haven't been as kind in Poland today as they were in France but they are giving a good show of themselves in their first World Tour stage race.

Stage 2 update:
http://www.teamnovonordisk.com/tour-de-pologne-2/

Stage 3 update:
http://www.teamnovonordisk.com/tour-de-pologne-3/

Continued good luck to them. 🙂
 
They really ought to do something about those crowds - I know I would find it almost impossible to deal with all those people leaning in and shouting im my face at the end of a marathon, so goodness knows how they cope with it 😱 Inevitable that something like yesterday would happen, glad they amended the results and Froome still in yellow 🙂

TNN doing great! Awesome role models for Type 1s! 🙂
 
A couple of difficult stages for TNN over the last couple of days in the Tour de Pologne. Today proved very difficult for all the teams taking part due to the mountainous nature of today's stage and very poor weather conditions - the race had 186 riders starting today's stage with only 100 finishing! TNN now have two riders remaining for the final two stages - Javier Megias and Charles Planet. Good luck to them. 🙂

http://www.teamnovonordisk.com/tour-de-pologne-4/
http://www.teamnovonordisk.com/tour-de-pologne-5/
 
The penultimate stage today of the Tour de Pologne eventually started after being shortened but was then cancelled part way round due to poor weather conditions - fog and rain. (They've not had much luck with weather for this race in Poland). So it's as you were for the two remaining TNN riders. Final stage tomorrow is a 25km time trial.

Details of today's cancelled stage:
http://www.teamnovonordisk.com/tour-de-pologne-6/
 
Blimey - pretty serious conditions, so I'm glad they cancelled for safety reasons. Hope tomorrow's time trial goes well.
I've only been to Poland in March, accompanying several friends taking part in Bergson Winter Challenge, an adventure race which involved cycling, trekking, snow shoeing, climbing / abseiling, caving, navigation etc. Snow cover was total. I assisted with race logistics and wrote report / took photos for Sleepmonsters, but these were lost when website was relaunched a few years ago.
 
Final stage today in the Tour de Pologne - 25km time trial. Weather conditions in Krakow were fine for this. 🙂 Both TNN riders posted the same time and so the overall final standings were Javier Megias finished in 41st place and Charles Planet finished in 97th. Well done to both of them and the rest of the team. It has been a steep learning curve for the team competing in a difficult world tour stage race for the first time against some of world's best. Of the 200 riders who started a week ago less than 100 finished. 😱

http://www.teamnovonordisk.com/tour-de-pologne-7/
 
Northerner said:
Inspirational! 🙂
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So, what have you done today to move towards learning to ride a bike? Lots of ideas from MattCycle and me on Cycling thread. Also worth checking if there's a Skyride near you - they had bikes to hire at Leeds, so I'm sure that's routine.
 
Copepod's issued a challenge there Alan :D (@Northerner ). If you lived anywhere near me I'd have given you lessons and you could have borrowed my hybrid. I say lessons, more like an afternoon as it's nothing like driving and doesn't take long at all to learn. 🙂
 
http://www.goskyride.com
Next Sky Rides are Coventry 7th Aug, Ipswich 14th Aug, Liverpool 21st Aug, Leicester 28th Aug, Glasgow 4th Sept, York 11th Sept. Looks like you've missed the nearer southern ones, but one might suit you?
A colleague of mine, a retired GP who grew up in Singapore, so he never learned to ride a bike, was keen to learn, as his knees were beginning to make running uncomfortable. He found a course in London, a long way from his Leeds surgery, but when a patient heard, he was taken to a car park, disused at weekends, to be taught - successfully. He asked me for more suggestions, as he'd seen me arrive with reflectors on rucksack plus trouser bands and put on lights when leaving in winter. So, I gave him a Cycling UK magazine I picked up at Sky Ride. Although I don't know anything about it, www.bigbikerevival.org.uk looks promising, too.
 
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