Cycling team races to combat diabetes

Friday, April 25, 2014

WEST FORK - Finishing in the middle of the pack Thursday during the men’s pro time trials of the 37th annual Joe Martin Stage Races wasn’t too bad for Team Novo Nordisk.

“We are the developmental part of the overall racing team,” team manager and coach Gleb Groysman said. “We have mostly 19-to 20-year-old guys racing against pros from some great racing teams. For us, we did pretty good.”

Maybe even better, considering each member of the cycling team lives daily with Type 1 diabetes. While the team trains to be as competitive as possible against other elite teams, its No.1 goal is to inspire and educate others affected by diabetes.

“We are here to show other people that have diabetes, you can do whatever you set out to do,” team member Simon Strobel of Bavaria, Germany said. “You have to take your medication, watch your diet and do some other things right, but look, we are out here competing at a high level of cycling.”

Strobel, 27, is the oldest member of the developmental team and a mentor and captain to younger teammates. He had graduated from medical school and was prepared to enter practice when he was offered a chance to join the elite international unit last year.

“This was the chance of a lifetime,” Strobel said. “I get to travel, meet a lot of different people and be a pro cyclist, which is something I love.”

Strobel was 14 and a high-level amateur inline speed skater in Germany when he was diagnosed with diabetes after an illness, and he kept losing weight.

“The first thing I thought of was, ‘Would I be able to race any more?’ ” Strobel said. “I went and found out as much information as I could about the disease and about how it affects my body. I found out you have to do some things the right way, but yes, you can keep competing at a high level.”

Developmental team members live together in a home base house in Atlanta. A couple of riders are from the United Sates, others are from France, Holland, New Zeland, Ukraine, Croatia and Spain. Groysman is originally from Russia.

“There are a lot of different personalities and attitudes,” Strobel said. “That’s one of the great things about the experience of being on this team.”

More than 700 competitive cyclists from all 50 states and 20 countries are competing in the Joe Martin Stage Races, one of only nine races listed on the USA Cycling National Race Calendar.

Thursday’s time trials were the first in a four-day, four-race format. Today and Saturday will make up the road race portion, and Sunday’s criterium will be a closed course in downtown Fayetteville as racers circle the downtown square and race down Dickson Street.

“We have made some friends here, and we hope a lot of people will come out and watch on Sunday,” said Pierre-Louis Verot, a 21-yearold team member from Dijon, France. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”Thursday’s leaders At Devil’s Den State Park, West Fork EVENT Time trials

MEN PRO CATEGORY 1 INDIVIDUAL RESULTS PL. NAME, TEAM TIME

  1. Ian Crane, Jamis Hagens Berman p/b Sutter ............................................. 8:07.23
  2. Jordan Cheyne, SeaSucker/Gutenplan Coaching ....................................... 8:12.18
  3. Ryan Roth, Jet Fuel Coffee-Norco Bicycle .................................................. 8:12.20
  4. Cameron Cogburn, Smartstop .................................................................... 8:17.97
  5. Morgan Schmitt, Canyon Bicycles-Shimano .............................................. 8:19.96
  6. Eloy Teruel, Jamis Hagens Berman p/b Sutter ........................................... 8:21.47
  7. Ben Jacques Maynes, Jamis Hagens Berman p/b Sutter .......................... 8:21.86
  8. Emerson Oronte, Horizon Organic/Einstein Bros. ...................................... 8:23.69
  9. Andres Diaz, Incycle-Predator Components ............................................... 8:29.72
  10. Scott Zwizanski, Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strate ...................................... 8:30.00

TEAM STANDINGS PL. TEAM TIME

  1. Jamis Hagens Berman p/b S ....................................................................... 0:24:49
  2. Smartstop .............................................................................................. 0:25:33
  3. Horizon Organic/Einstein ............................................................................. 0:25:34
  4. 5hr Energy prsented by Ke .......................................................................... 0:25:35
  5. Optum p/b Kelly Benefit S ...........................................................................0:25:59

WOMEN PRO CATEGORY 1-2 INDIVIDUAL RESULTS PL. NAME, TEAM TIME

  1. Lauren Stephens, Team TIBCO ................................................................... 9:32.02
  2. Amber Neben,FCS|Zngine ........................................................................... 9:38.33
  3. Jessica Cutler, FCS|Zngine .......................................................................... 9:55.61 4. Laura Brown, Colavita-Fine Cooking ........................................................... 9:57.79
  4. Andrea Dvorak, Team TIBCO ....................................................................... 9:58.53 6. Jasmin Glaesser, Team TIBCO ................................................................. 10:00.42
  5. Mary Zider, Colavita-Fine Cooking ........................................................... 10:03.68
  6. Karen Hunter, ATC Racing ........................................................................ 10:07.17
  7. Whitney Schultz, Colavita-Fine Cooking .................................................. 10:10.90
  8. Joanne Kiesanowski, Team TIBCO ......................................................... 10:18.25

TEAM STANDINGS PL. TEAM TIME

  1. Team TIBCO/To The Top .............................................................................. 0:29:30
  2. FCS|Zngine p/b Mr. Restor .......................................................................... 0:29:57
  3. Zimmer Capital p/b Founda ......................................................................... 0:32:51
  4. Mexican National Team ............................................................................... 0:33:34
  5. Guru Cycles p/b Haute Whe ........................................................................ 0:33:58 FOR COMPLETE RESULTS joemartinstagerace.com

Sports, Pages 26 on 04/25/2014