Team Novo Nordisk is an American global all-diabetes sports team of cyclists, triathletes and runners. The team's principal sponsor is a Danish global healthcare company. The team is also sponsored by bicycle maker Colnago.
Pro Cycling Team
Team Novo Nordisk is the first professional cycling team to be comprised completely of riders living with type 1 diabetes. All riders and several of the team's staff, including Phil Southerland and VP of Marketing Matt Vogel, are living with diabetes.
Elite Program
In addition to the world's first all-diabetes pro cycling team, Team Novo Nordisk is home to a program of endurance athletes living with diabetes. Women's Team The Team Novo Nordisk Women's Team includes an international mix of national, collegiate and USA circuit champions, Olympic hopefuls and riders of all levels competing in top criteriums, road and track events. Mountain Bike/Cyclocross The Team Novo Nordisk Mountain Bike/Cyclocross Team competes in mountain bike events such as, downhill, cross country and endurance, as well as cyclocross events throughout the U.S. Running/Triathlon Team Novo Nordisk runners include Marathoners, Ultra runners and Olympic hopefuls. The triathletes compete in events such as France's Long Course World Championships and the Ironman World Championship in Kona. Type 2 All members of the Team Novo Nordisk T2 Team are living with type 2 diabetes. The T2 athletes utilize cycling and running, along with proper diet and diabetes management, as a means of staying healthy and active. The athletes range in age from early 30s to over 70.
History
2005 In 2005, Phil Southerland and Joe Eldridge founded the team, then known as Team Type 1, to provide inspiration for people living with diabetes and "an opportunity to compete at the sport's highest levels". 2006–07 In 2006, Phil Southerland and Joe Eldridge assembled a group of eight cyclists with type 1 diabetes to take on the grueling 3,000 mile Race Across America to raise diabetes awareness. The team went on to win the event in 2007, 2009 and 2010 and quickly became a magnet for endurance athletes with diabetes. 2008 The team turned professional in 2008 after success in amateur races. In 2010 it had a UCI Continental licence but became a Professional Continental team in 2011, with a view to competing in the Giro d'Italia in 2011 and the Tour de France in 2012. The team had originally aimed to achieve the Professional Contintental level for the 2010 season but decided against applying for an upgraded licence because of fears that it might preclude the team from competing in events outside the responsibility of the International Cycling Union and a lack of knowledge by the team's management of the scale of investment that would be required to compete at the higher level. 2009 In 2009, the team won the Race Across America, having entered a team of cyclists who all had type 1 diabetes. The team has also competed in a number of major professional events, such as the Tour of California and the Tour de Langkawi, and picked up two stage wins in the 2010 Tour du Maroc. 2010 The team has competed in a number of major professional events, such as the Tour of California and the Tour de Langkawi and picked up two stage wins in the 2010 Tour du Maroc. In 2010, the team's calendar featured a number of international races, including the Tour de Bretagne Cycliste, the Tour de Taiwan, the Tour of Ireland and the Tour of Japan. The team's main goal for the 2010 season was the Tour of California, an eight-stage race held in May in which Thomas Rabou won the King of the Mountains competition. 2011–12 The team expanded for the 2011 season, its first as a Professional Continental team, 2013 List of UCI Professional Continental and Continental teams, with signings including former Tour de France yellow jersey-wearer Rubens Bertogliati and Russian Alexander Efimkin, who went on to win the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey in May. The team unsuccessfully sought a wildcard entry to the 2011 Giro d'Italia. 2013 In 2013, Team Novo Nordisk became the first-ever professional cycling team to feature an all-diabetes roster. The team continued to race on the International Cycling Union Professional Continental tour, and competed in major professional races, including the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey, Tour de Beauce, Post Danmark Rundt and USA Pro Cycling Challenge. 2014 In January 2014, the Pro Men's team began its second season as Team Novo Nordisk in Argentina's Tour de San Luis, and raced over 150 days throughout the year. The team showed marked improvement in its second season, earning top ten finishes at Amgen Tour of California and USA Pro Challenge. 2015 In February 2015, Team Novo Nordisk earned its first-ever win with New Zealander Scott Ambrose taking stage 2 of Le Tour de Filipinas, and the team made its debut at Dubai Tour, earning two top tens at the race.
