Team Type 1's New Creed

Atlanta – Team Type 1 bolstered its men’s team roster yesterday with the addition of Michael Creed, a 10-year professional who has won nearly two dozen national titles on the road and track.

The 5-foot-11, 155-pound native of Twin Falls, Idaho, is expected to bolster the team’s already solid core of climbing and time trial talent. Team Type 1 is the only professional cycling team in the world with a mission to instill hope and inspiration for people around the world affected by diabetes.

“It’s nice to be in a position to help out a deserving American rider like Mike Creed,” Team Type 1 Director Sportif Vassili Davidenko said. “He will definitely be an asset for us in some of the biggest races in the United States this year.”

Creed, 28, has six times represented the United States at the world championships while finishing a career-best sixth place in the Under 23 individual time trial in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 2003. His 22 national titles include victories at the Under 23 time trial championships in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

Last year, the Colorado Springs, Colo., resident competed in nearly all of America’s top stage races, including the Amgen Tour of California, the Tour of Missouri, the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and the Nature Valley Grand Prix. He also raced a number of times on the international front, including the Tour of Qinghai Lake in China where he helped a teammate win the overall title.

Creed said he looks forward to racing for Team Type 1 beginning at Saturday’s Bank of America Wilmington Grand Prix in Wilmington, Del., and the BikeJam/Kelly Cup to benefit World Bicycle Relief on Sunday in Baltimore, Md.

“I’m excited to be racing for a team that is spreading such an inspirational message,” Creed said.

In his 10 years as a professional, Creed has ridden for 7-Up/Colorado Cyclist (2000), Prime Alliance Cycling Team (2001-2003), U.S. Postal presented by Berry Floor (2004), Discovery Channel Pro Cycling (2005), TIAA-CREF (2006) and Team Slipstream (2007). Last season, he competed for Rock Racing but was not part of the squad’s professional team for the 2009 season.

Team Type 1 was created in 2004 by two racers with Type 1 diabetes, Phil Southerland and Joe Eldridge. Since then, it has grown from an eight-person team of cyclists with Type 1 diabetes who won the Race Across America in 2006 and 2007 to a program that now includes men's and women's professional race teams, an all-Type 1 triathlon team and an all-Type 1 development team. A newly-formed “Team Type 2” will also compete in the Race Across America next month.