QUEBEC CITY,
June 17, 2015 /CNW/ - As Team Novo Nordisk, the
world's first all-diabetes professional cycling team, crosses the
finish line at Tour de Beauce, the riders leave Quebeckers with an
inspirational Changing Diabetes® message – with drive,
dedication and the proper channels of support and disease
management, anything may be possible!
The men's pro cycling team has been racing in Canada since the team's first season in 2013,
spreading their inspirational message to millions of people across
the country. By competing in key races, such as Tour de Beauce,
they've proven they can compete with the world's best and achieve
great things, despite their diabetes.
"As a team of committed, high-performing athletes, we've all
embraced our condition as a motivater to help us go beyond what
people believe to be possible for people, like us, living with
diabetes," said Team Novo Nordisk professional cyclist,
Martijn Verschoor. "As a team, we
encourage each other to face the daily challenges of diabetes with
strength. While we strive to achieve success in every race
appearance, a bigger accomplishment is helping others living with
diabetes recognize and achieve their true potential."
When diagnosed with diabetes, many people think it means they
won't be able to live life the way they'd hoped. The Team Novo
Nordisk athletes are people with diabetes who happen to have a
talent and a strong desire to not let their condition stop them
from following their dreams of competing at the top level.
This year, fans, fellow riders and the local diabetes community
who came out to the race had the opportunity to meet members of
Team Novo Nordisk and learn about the training demands of a
high-performance cyclist, as well as get the insider track on bike
riding techniques for the average cyclist. A select few even had
the opportunity to participate in a ride-along with former Team
Novo Nordisk professional cyclist and team mentor, Joe Eldridge.
Tour de Beauce consisted of a 643.3 km race over five days in
and around Québec City. Day one of the race ended with Team Novo
Nordisk's Martijn Verschoor of
the Netherlands taking sixth place
and Charles Planet of France finishing in 10th place.
Verschoor would earn two top 10 finishes during Tour de Beauce.
Kevin De Mesmaeker of Belgium held
on to his top 20 place in the last two races in the general
classification following a challenging final stage at the Tour de
Beauce.
As the team gears up for its next big race, it's challenging the
diabetes community to be active and get involved in sport as a way
to further manage their diabetes and empower others living with the
condition.
"Each race is our opportunity to grow in strength and
demonstrate to the world that when you have diabetes you can still
follow your dreams," said Phil
Southerland, co-founder and CEO, Team Novo Nordisk. "This is
our third season racing as an all-diabetes team and we have high
ambitions. We hope to perform well and inspire and empower more
people affected by diabetes to take control of their condition and
pursue their dreams."
For full race updates, visit teamnovonordisk.com. Supporters can
also follow the team on facebook.com/TeamNovoNordisk,
twitter.com/TeamNovoNordisk or on
http://instagram.com/teamnovonordisk.
"Novo Nordisk is very proud of the unique Team Novo Nordisk
partnership. As part of our long-standing Changing
Diabetes® program, the athletes are raising awareness of
the diabetes pandemic and inspiring millions of people affected by
diabetes around the world," said Novo Nordisk Executive Vice
President of China, Pacific and
Marketing, Jakob Riis.
Team Novo Nordisk
The Team Novo Nordisk professional
men's cycling team roster for 2015 in Quebec included:
Stephen Clancy (Ireland), Kevin De Mesmaeker (Belgium), Joonas Henttala (Finland), Javier
Megias (Spain),
Charles Planet (France), Simon
Strobel (Germany),
Martijn Verschoor (The Netherlands).
About Changing Diabetes®
Today, 387
million people are living with diabetes, which is predicted to rise
to 592 million by 2035.1 By 2020 it is expected that 3.7
million Canadians will be diagnosed with diabetes in Canada.2 Changing
Diabetes® is the Novo Nordisk global commitment to
improve conditions for the millions of people who live with
diabetes around the world today, and those who are at risk of
developing diabetes tomorrow.
About Novo Nordisk
Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare
company with 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes
care. The company also has leading positions within haemophilia
care, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. Novo
Nordisk employs approximately 41,000 employees in 75 countries, and
markets its products in more than 180 countries. For more
information, visit novonordisk.ca.
Notes to editor:
Team biographies, backgrounder and
photography available on request.
______________________
References
- - IDF 6th edition Diabetes Atlas, 2014 Update
- An economic tsunami, the cost of diabetes in Canada. Canadian Diabetes Association.
Available from:
http://www.diabetes.ca/CDA/media/documents/publications-and-newsletters/advocacy-reports/economic-tsunami-cost-of-diabetes-in-canada-english.pdf.
Last accessed: May 2014.
SOURCE Novo Nordisk Canada Inc.