Team Type 1 Earns Tour of Missouri Spot

Atlanta – The Team Type 1 men’s professional team will be a part of one of the most prestigious stage races in the United States when it takes the start line of the Tour of Missouri in early September.

Team Type 1 has won nearly two dozen races and stands fifth in the National Racing Calendar (NRC) standings. Earlier this year, the only professional cycling team in the world with a mission to spread inspiration to those affected by diabetes competed in North America’s other major event, the Amgen Tour of California.

"We would like to extend a big thank you to the state of Missouri for having us in their race,” Team Type 1 founder and second-year professional Phil Southerland said. “I am very excited that we will again be competing against the best in the world, and have the opportunity to share our message of inspiration to people affected by diabetes.

"I have done a lot of work with the Lantus and Apidra insulin representatives in the state who have shown me what a great diabetes community Missouri has. I very much look forward to working with them, so that everyone with diabetes in Missouri has a chance to meet Team Type 1."

For the first time since its inaugural year, the Tour of Missouri will travel east to west, starting in St. Louis and finishing in Kansas City. The past two years, the race routed west to east, beginning in Kansas City and ending in St. Louis.

The more than 600-mile (965 km) race will be contested over seven days and seven stages. There will be two circuit races (St. Louis and Kansas City), one time trial (Sedalia) and four point-to-point road races (Ste. Genevieve-Cape Girardeau, Farmington-Rolla, St. James-Jefferson City and Chillicothe-St. Joseph).

Team Type 1 was created in 2004 by Southerland and Joe Eldridge, a pair of avid cyclists with Type 1 diabetes. In 2006 and 2007, the pair captained Team Type 1 to back-to-back victories in the eight-person team division of the Race Across America (RAAM). In 2008, the team grew to include a 15-rider professional continental team that included four riders with Type 1 diabetes. This year, Team Type 1 expanded to include a triathlon team, a developmental squad, a women's professional squad and a second team for RAAM: Team Type 2.

Team Type 1’s roster for the Tour of Missouri will be announced at a later date.