There was a time when the idea of diabetic pro cyclists was rare. Common wisdom held that diabetics had too many obstacles to be competitive. However, thanks to the continued efforts of Team Novo Nordisk, we’ve seen that diabetic pro cyclists can compete at the highest levels of the sport. And do it successfully.

Recently two additional riders with type 1 diabetes have made the transition to the pros. Frenchman Quentin Valognes and Dutchman Rik van IJzendoorn have moved up from the Team Novo Nordisk development squad onto the men’s pro squad as stagiaires for the remainder of the 2016 season.

Team Novo Nordisk is a unique team made up exclusively of cyclists with diabetes, so gaining two strong and talented riders is exciting for us. Quentin grew up in our development program over the past several years, starting on the junior squad. He is pure talent and he can definitely win. Now the focus will be on helping him adapt to the pro level.

Vassili Davidenko, General Manger, Team Novo Nordisk

Quentin Valognes

Quentin Valognes was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was just six years old, but it didn’t stop him from chasing his dream of racing his bike. By age 12, he was competing and quickly grew into a strong sprinter on the track. In his four years with Team Novo Nordisk’s development team, the 20-year-old Frenchman earned a list of accolades, including winning Stage 5 and Stage 6 of the Tour de l’Abitibi Desjardins (2014) and a podium at the French National KeirinChampionship (2014).

It’s an honor to be selected, but I’m aware that I still need to earn my spot on the professional squad. I know this is just the beginning. I embrace my diabetes and I’m excited to have an even bigger platform to inspire, educate and empower people affected by the condition.

Quentin Valognes, Rider, Team Novo Nordisk

Rik van IJzendoorn

Rik van IJzendoorn made his pro debut in the Tour of Utah, where he is helping to support Javier Megias in the team’s efforts. Megias is fresh off of his second place finish at the 2016 Tour de Korea.

Van IJzendoorn was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes within the past year, but his history on the bike is much lengthier. Van IJzendoorn comes from a racing family and was competing by age eight. Since then, he has amassed several achievements, including Dutch Junior National Cyclocross Champion (1997), Dutch Junior National Road Champion (1999), runner-up at Dutch Junior National Cyclocross Championship (2004) and third place at the UCI cyclocross World Cup race in Pijnacker (2004).

I’m very happy to have this opportunity to race at the professional level; it will be a whole new experience for me racing against World Tour riders. Team Novo Nordisk has helped make my dream of racing against the best in the world come true. I’m fully focused on working for the team throughout the remainder of the season and hope to earn a contract for next season.

Rik van IJzendoorn, Rider, Team Novo Nordisk

These two riders represent the up and comers that will help drive Team Novo Nordisk towards their goal towards the 2021 Tour de France – while helping to inspire all of us that face challenges that some would dare tell us are insurmountable.

You’ve definitely read a lot about Team Novo Nordisk here on JustAnotherCyclist.com recently. The reasons for that are pretty clear to my frequent readers. But for everyone else, their results alone – aside from their mission – are worthy of note

The team, made up entirely of professional cyclists with Type 1 diabetes, have been at the Tour of California for three consecutive years now. But this year has been particularly successful for the team, driven in a large part by World Tour veteran Javier Megias. Javier took 14th overall in the general classification at the Tour of California, going head to head with some of the best cyclist in the world. In addition to the GC success in California, Martijn Verschoor was able to cross sabres in stage 1 for a 5th place sprint finish.

The Gibraltar climb and the time trial were the most defining moments for me. The climb was insanely challenging while the time trial was just brutal.

David Lozano, Rider, Team Novo Nordisk (pictured above)

But success has not been limited to California. As of June 1, 2016, Team Novo Nordisk had earned six top 5 finishes and eight top 10 finishes, including the teams first overall victory in the team classification at the Tour of Estonia.

Then came the Tour de Korea, where Javier Megias again showed his form earning the teams first ever second place podium finish in the general classification.

The Tour de Korea has been a good race to this team over the years. I am very pleased with the entire squad. It was inspiring to see how aggressive our riders raced all week in breakaways and sprint finishes. Javi finished 14th overall last month at the Tour of California against some of the best cyclists in the world. Now he earned his career best at the Tour de Korea. We’re excited to see what happens throughout the remainder of this season, especially at next month’s Tour de Pologne.

Vassili Davidenko, Senior Vice President of Athletics and General Manager, Team Novo Nordisk

The Tour de Pologne (Tour of Poland) will mark another significant first for the team in 2016: the team’s first world tour stage race. This is critical, as Team Novo Nordisk CEO and Co-founder Phil Southerland has set a goal for the team to be in the Tour de France in 2021.

Phil Southerland is a self-described “…boy that was shaving his legs at 14.” From there he taught himself the ropes racing with a group from a local bike show. He continued riding and racing through college, but eventually found himself pitching the idea of an all diabetic pro cycling team to vendors at Interbike. That idea has continued to grow towards the Tour de France goal since inception. 2016 has all the potential to be the turning point in an effort that has produced not only Team Novo Nordisk, but also the charitable Team Type 1 foundation.

2021 will mark the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin – a pivotal moment in history for suffers of Type 1 diabetes that depend on daily insulin injections to manage their condition. Phil Southerland cites this, along with “enough runway” to meet the necessary obligations for a Tour de France wildcard spot, as a perfect target to get Team Novo Nordisk into the most famous bicycle race in the world.

The Tour de France comes down to ranking. We know we need to be in the top 25 professional teams by 2021 to increase our chances at a wild card invitation.

Since 2014, Team Novo Nordisk has seen an annual 20% ranking improvement, but in order to achieve a top 25 ranking we will need more riders, because more riders lead to more points. We also need to get more results so we can earn more points. Finally, we need to compete in bigger races because World Tour races equal more points… a higher ranking gives us the ability to get noticed and be eligible for a wild card spot.

Phil Southerland, CEO & Co-founder, Team Novo Nordisk

With that plan in mind, the results and scheduled races of this year seem to be paving a smooth path towards Paris in 2021. It is unfortunate how often those living with diabetes hear about what they can’t do. Phil Southerland, along with the management and team members of Team Novo Nordisk, are instead showing us what they can do.

Joonas Henttala is a professional cyclist with Team Novo Nordisk. Joonas started the 2016 Tour of California aggressively. We was the first rider to attack after the neutral start of Stage 1. This created a break away with 6 other riders that was off the front for over 85 miles. The break away was reeled back in before the final 3, resulting in a bunch sprint. Joonas’s teammate on Team Novo Nordisk – Martijn Verschoor – was able to capture a 5th place finish against some of the best sprinters in the world.

We caught up with Joonas Henttala before the start of the Tour of California to ask him some questions about his life as a professional cyclist, overcoming Type 1 Diabetes, and competing at the highest levels of the sport.

JustAnotherCyclist: I understand you got started in bike racing at a pretty early age. What interested you about racing bikes?
Joonas Henttala: My dad used to be a racer and I always loved riding my bike. My hometown, Porvoo, has a strong cycling culture for Finland, so that also helped.

JAC: You were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at a young age too. Did that impact your racing plans?
JH: My diagnosis didn’t impact my racing plans much at all. I received some good advice from people close to me and my healthcare team and I was able to take charge of my management early on. I have always seen myself as an ambitious bike racer who also happens to have diabetes.

JAC: You’re riding in the upcoming Tour of California. You’ve raced Tour of California before, correct?
JH: Yes, I raced at the Tour of California in 2014 and 2015. It’s a beautiful race and I love that I get to come back and race here again. We are an American-registered team, so this is considered a “home” race for us. We have big goals for the race this year and I hope we can get some results and at the same time, show the world what may be possible with diabetes.

JAC: Do you have to think about your diabetes management differently in a longer stage race compared to one day events?
JH: There are some slight changes, but it really isn’t that different. Diabetes is a very individual condition and for me, I find it less challenging to manage my diabetes on stage races versus one-day races. It’s important to keep in mind that during race days there are many different variables that can affect my blood sugar, including stress, adrenaline, race intensity, weather conditions and altitude.

JAC: Any particular goals or targets for the team in California this year?
JH: There are a lot of climbs this year so we have Javi (Megias) and David (Lozano), who are both great climbers, ready to attack on those stages. Javi is also the rider who is designated to go for the overall win (General Classification). For me specifically, I’m on the hunt to get into breakaways and I’ll help the other guys like Martijn (Verschoor) and Andrea (Peron) to get into good position for the sprint finishes.

JAC: Do you get assistance from Team Novo Nordisk support and medical staff monitoring your diabetes during the races?
JH: For optimal performance, I need to keep my blood sugar in a target range. If my blood sugar is out of target, I may need to make adjustments and the medical staff is on site during the race support us if we need any assistance.

JAC: Does riding with diabetes present any additional concerns when the UCI talks about banning radios from professional races?
JH: Radios were banned, but they are actually back. Just like other teams, we use race radios for team tactics and can always radio back to the car if we need anything. Even without radio, we always have a member of our medical team in the car and we can drop back to the car and ask them a question if we need anything.

JAC: How did you come to be involved with Team Novo Nordisk?
JH: I visited Team Novo Nordisk’s development team in 2012 and did a few races with them. Based on my time there and some earlier results from that year, it was enough to convince the management to offer me a pro contract for the 2013 season.

JAC: Have you encountered many other Type 1 diabetics out there racing, aside from Team Novo Nordisk?
JH: Growing up, there was a really good masters racer in Finland who also had diabetes. I really looked up to him. I believe he even won the Scandinavian championships. Unfortunately, he passed away from cancer a couple years ago but he was very instrumental in my growth and knowing that I could still chase my dreams following my diabetes diagnosis.  One of the things I love about Team Novo Nordisk is being able to serve as a role model to help inspire, educate and empower people affected by diabetes all over the world.

Read other JustAnotherCyclist.com posts about Team Novo Nordisk, or the 2016 Amgen Tour of California.

Team Novo Nordisk will be returning to the Amgen Tour of California this year with a whole new look that will be exclusive to the US races. The new green kits feature Tresiba^®  – a long-acting insulin produced by title sponsor Novo Nordisk.

Team Novo Nordisk is a global team made up of nearly 100 endurance athletes with diabetes, including cyclists, runners and triathletes. The men’s professional cycling team includes 17 athletes from nine countries, 8 of which will be on the starting line for the Amgen Tour of California.

The Amgen Tour of California is the biggest cycling event on U.S. soil and it’s definitely one of the most important races of the season for Team Novo Nordisk, so we are excited to introduce our new U.S. kit at this prestigious race. This year marks our third consecutive appearance at the Amgen Tour of California, and we are eager to use this opportunity to show the 415 million people around the world living with diabetes what may be possible.

Phil Southerland, co-founder & CEO of Team Novo Nordisk

In addition to the 8 riders traveling to California, directeur sportif duties will be handled by Vassili Davidenko and Pavel Cherkasov. Team medical duties will fall on Dr. David Castol.

Our strategy is for the riders to be in peak performance around this race and so far, everything is going according to plan. The team is strong and ready to race. Our climbers will be ready for the new challenges, and we believe our sprinting duo, Andrea and Martijn, are in good shape and ready to earn top results. Charles is coming up very strong and while Javier has had a bumpy season so far, he should be ready for California.

Team Novo Nordisk Senior Vice President of Athletics Vassili Davidenko

Team Novo Nordisk has had successes in the Tour of California in the past. In 2014, Charles Planet (FRA) wore the race’s Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Rider jersey in Stages 2 and 3, while teammate Kevin De Mesmaeker (BEL) sprinted to third place on Stage 4. Over the past two editions, Team Novo Nordisk athletes earned three top-10 finishes and rode in major breakaways on five separate stages.

This race is one of my favorites of the season and I hope I can make the podium this year. One of Team Novo Nordisk’s main goals is to win a stage and show the world what may be possible with diabetes

Team Novo Nordisk rider Martijn Verschoor

Look forward to more interviews with Team Novo Nordisk riders as the Amgen Tour of California progresses.

^{Tresiba® is a long-acting insulin that is manufactured by Novo Nordisk. For more information, go to www.tresiba.com.}

It is, without question, extremely challenging to reach elite levels in any sport. Cycling has its own unique challenges. Couple that with the demands of managing a life long disease like type 1 diabetes and challenging can quickly turn into “daunting” or even “prohibitive.”

However, US track sprinter Mandy Marquardt is a fantastic demonstration that type 1 diabetes is not something to keep people from achieving their goals. Along with the help of Team Novo Nordisk, Mandy is spreading the word that diabetes does not have to be a limiting factor in our lives. We caught up with Mandy via email to talk to her about her experiences as a diabetic athlete.

Mandy Marquardt: Cycling has brought me to all areas of the globe, but my home is in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where I train at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center with Andrew Harris and his program, Sprinter’s Edge. I graduated in 2014 from Penn State Lehigh Valley, and I’m currently the Cycling Coach at Penn State Lehigh Valley and training full-time for UCI track races, UCI Track World Cups and the Olympic Games. I’m also part of the Team Novo Nordisk, a global team of nearly 100 endurance athletes with diabetes, spearheaded by the world’s first all-diabetes professional cycling team.

JustAnotherCyclist: According to your bio on the Team Novo Nordisk website, your started cycling competitively at a very early age. How did you get started, and how did you balance training with school and other “normal kid stuff”?
MM: I was born in Mannheim, Germany and moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida when I was six years old. My father is German and my mother is originally from Florida. My parents encouraged me to participate in sports when I was young, so it has been a big part of my whole life. I was either at swim practice, taking tennis lessons or running 5k’s with my dad throughout my childhood. In 2002, I did my first triathlon and began focusing on cycling and started competing in endurance road and track events at the Brian Piccolo Sports Park and Velodrome in Cooper City, Florida. Since I was always busy competing on the weekends, I rarely had time for sleepovers.  In school, I was known as the “athletic girl”. As I got a little older, I started to learn how to balance my sport and social life.

JAC: How old were you when you were finally diagnosed?
MM: In November 2007, my world turned upside down. I went in for V02 testing and blood work connected with my training.  They quickly became concerned about my elevated blood sugar levels and I went straight to the hospital. At 16 years old, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.  

JAC: Your […] initial indications of your Type 1 diabetes came through routine testing as part of your training. Did you have any suspicions at all prior to that point that something might be changing?
MM: When I look back at it, I would get headaches after eating high carb meals, and during training and racing, I always took forever to warm up and often felt tired and sluggish. I never thought anything of it. I thought maybe I was just tired from all the hard training, and I needed more sleep or a change in my diet. I was never aware that they were unusual symptoms, so I was surprised.

JAC: The moment when you actually understood that you had Type 1 diabetes, what was your immediate reaction?
MM: I was confused, overwhelmed and frustrated. I questioned if there was something I did to get diabetes. I’ll never forget when a doctor told me, “Mandy, you will never be able to race at a high level again.” I felt like everything I worked so hard for was gone. I felt empty, and physically and emotionally drained.

JAC: What were the immediate impacts from the diagnosis on your training and competition?
MM: I spent the next two weeks in the hospital, seeing multiple doctors and working with my healthcare team to learn how to manage my diabetes. I was determined to get back on the bike and eager to race again. When I began training again, it was tough learning what foods, stressors and training intensity affected my blood sugars. I sometimes neglected taking the best care of myself because I was upset, and at one big race weekend, I left all my diabetes supplies at home, and couldn’t even perform in our team event. It was a pivotal point because I not only let myself down but also my teammates. My parents supported me through it all, but it was ultimately up to me to put in the effort to manage my diabetes. I began to improve on monitoring my training and diabetes regime because I was motivated to win bike races again.

JAC: Did you ever fear that the diagnosis might mean an end to your competitive career plans?
MM: [See question above] It was discouraging when I was told I might have to stop racing. Also, due to all the people who were concerned about me, I felt that having diabetes was a bad thing. Back then, I never heard of any other athletes with type 1 diabetes. One of the reasons I love being part of Team Novo Nordisk is because I think we can serve as role models to young athletes with diabetes and show them you can still pursue your dreams.

JAC: The additional challenges of living with diabetes are talked about a lot. But what challenges do you face due to diabetes in regards to competitive cycling specifically?
MM: During racing, there are many variables that affect my blood sugar, including stress and adrenaline. Since sprints are so short, I’m able to monitor my blood sugars before, during, and after racing. I continually check my blood sugar on race days and work with my health care team to adjust my diabetes regime with these extra variables. Racing with diabetes is just another variable that I factor in, but when I’m on the start line, I’m no different than my competitors

JAC: How does the team support you in the additional challenges?
MM: I’m grateful to be a part of Team Novo Nordisk. Since I joined the team in 2010, we’ve grown tremendously. All the athletes on the team are racing with diabetes and as teammates, we really want to see each other succeed. The team has brought us all together, and the ability to connect with one another on that same level, sharing our ups and downs, is really special.

JAC: How long was it between your diagnosis and joining Team Novo Nordisk?
MM: Approximately three years after my diagnosis, I joined the team. It was 2010 and I was inspired by the other athletes racing with diabetes. It was the first time I didn’t feel ashamed and embarrassed about my diagnosis. Due to the team, I have been able to learn to share my story and fully acknowledge that living and racing with diabetes is possible.

JAC: Do you feel that Team Novo Nordisk has created opportunities as a Type 1 cyclist that you otherwise may not have had?
MM:Absolutely! When the team and I aren’t racing, we are out in the community sharing our stories and meeting other people living with diabetes. One of my favorite experiences with the team was traveling to Rwanda in 2011. The Men’s Professional Team was there to race the Tour of Rwanda, and a group of us were riding all the stages ahead of the race. Once we arrived at the finish, we would go and meet with a local diabetes group. It was by far the most memorable experience of my life, both on and off the bike. It was touching to see the world and inspire people.

Growing up, I told my parents that I didn’t want to be just someone, but somebody. My dad always reminded me never to do anything half-heartedly so when I would do something, I did it with my whole heart and I continue to approach life the same today. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that sometimes we don’t always know what the reason is; you might not know today, tomorrow or even a year from now. To be honest, if I had a choice, I wouldn’t choose to have type 1 diabetes, but I’ve accepted my diagnosis. Now, I am proud to be living with diabetes. I’m thankful to be alive, healthy, racing my bike, and inspiring, educating and empowering people affected by diabetes.

JAC: If you could say anything to other young competitive [athletes] that have recently been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, what would it be?
MM: The most important thing to remember is that you can still pursue your dreams, no matter what they are.

JAC: Any specific goals for your career going forward?
MM: One of my biggest goals is to represent my country and Team Novo Nordisk at the 2020 Olympic Games. Not only would it be the pinnacle of my athletic career, but it would also be an incredible platform to inspire, educate and empower anyone affected by diabetes to pursue their dreams.

JAC: When you look forward to your future as a cyclist, does the fact that you have Type 1 diabetes influence your plans or aspirations in any way?
MM: I only see it influencing my future aspirations in a positive way. I am hard on myself and very detail-oriented when it comes to the way I approach my life, work (Penn State Lehigh Valley Cycling Coach) and cycling. I want to reach my highest potential in track cycling and inspire other athletes and people living with diabetes. The support and encouragement I’ve received throughout the years from family, friends, teammates and the community has been incredible, and I want to make them and my country proud.

• Follow Mandy Marquardt on Twitter, as well as her own website at https://mandymarquardt.wordpress.com/
• Team Novo Nordisk is a global team of cyclists, runners and triathletes with diabetes, spearheaded by the world’s first all diabetes pro cycling team. The team’s mission is to inspire, educate and empower everyone affected by diabetes. Find more at http://www.teamnovonordisk.com