Baltimore City, Md. – Morgan Patton and Monique Hanley didn’t win Saturday’s Kelly Cup Criterium. But the two Team Type 1 racers did make history.
Patton and Hanley finished second and third, respectively, in what is believed to be the first time two female athletes with Type 1 diabetes have finished on the podium of a national-level women’s bicycle race.
Patton has lived with Type 1 the past 13 years while Hanley was diagnosed with Type 1 11 years ago.
“From a diabetes standpoint, this is pretty inspiring,” Team Type 1 Sport Director Ed Beamon said. “They rode a great race, staying up near the front and keeping an eye on things. I’m so proud of them.”
Patton and Hanley charged up the finishing straight in Patterson Park, finishing just a few bike lengths behind the winner, Shontell Gauthier (Colavita-Sutter Home Cycling Team presented by Cooking Light). The Kelly Cup is part of the 10th Annual BikeJam Cycling Festival in Baltimore City, Md.
“Monique and I just jumped onto the back of the Colavita train on the last lap,” Patton said. “There was a really tight chicane in the final 500 meters and we were in perfect position coming into that. Then it was just uphill to the finish.”
Patton said she felt strong in the first part of the flat and fast 20-lap race around a one-mile (1.2 km) course. But then her blood sugar began to drop.
“I knew I had to eat something, so while I was recovering, Monique was really aggressive, attacking off the front,” Patton said. “Unfortunately, nothing was going to get away today. Everyone was chasing everything down.”
Hanley said she felt a lot stronger than during the Bank of America Wilmington Grand Prix last weekend, thanks in part to some unscheduled rest days.
“I don’t think I backed off well enough on my intensity (training) last week,” she said. “This week, I had a bit of travel, so I was almost forced to back off.”
With six laps remaining, Patton and Hanley pulled alongside each other to strategize – aided by over-the-radio communication with Beamon and Assistant Sport Director Vaselli Davidenko.
“Monique said she’d get me to the line and she towed me the next five laps,” Patton said.
Beamon said he preached patience against a talented 78-rider field that included four riders from Colavita, five from Team Advil-Chapstick and five from Team Kenda Tire. Patton and Hanley were Team Type 1’s only entries.
“This is a hard sprint, uphill into the wind about 300 meters,” Beamon said. “It was not a pure sprinters sprint. It was about good position and using your power and basically they rode in perfect position on the last lap.”
Next month, Hanley will be a part of Team Type 1's eight-person corporate team that will defend the Race Across America (RAAM) title it has won the past two years. Team Type 1 was created in 2004 by Type 1 diabetes racers Phil Southerland and Joe Eldridge to inspire people living with diabetes to take a proactive approach to managing their health and overcoming the obstacles often associated with the condition.
Photo: Kurt Jambretz (www.actionimages.cc)
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