Team Type 1 ready to contest Irish Tour

Team Type 1 Sport Director Ed Beamon returns to the Tour of Ireland with a new squad this year, but the same attitude that earned his team a podium finish last year. On the final stage of the inaugural edition of the race David O'Loughlin scored third place behind Marco Marcato (Team L.P.R.) and Thomas Berkhout (Rabobank Continental). O'Loughlin now rides for the Ireland Pezula Racing squad.

Beamon's Team Type 1 squad includes two riders who competed in Ireland last year: Ukrainian Valeriy Kobzarenko and Mexican Moises Aldape. Kobzarenko finished eighth overall while riding for Beamon's Navigators Insurance squad. Aldape was 17th for the Italian Ceramica Panaria-Navigare squad.

"We are really excited to be back at Tour of Ireland this time with the new Team Type 1 squad," Beamon said. "Kobzarenko and Aldape both had strong showings in Ireland last year, and I think the new race format will favour guys like Glen Chadwick and Matt Wilson."

Chadwick, a former New Zealand time trial champion, is coming off a third place finish overall at the Tour of Utah, in addition to winning the King of the Mountains classification. Aldape will be racing with the team for the first time since competing along with Chadwick in the Olympics.

"The team is in good form right now, so we will be trying for a good GC spot and we are always in the hunt for stage victories," Beamon said.

In addition to Kobzarenko, Chadwick, Aldape and Wilson, Team Type 1's roster includes sprinter Emile Abraham and white jersey (best rider under 25) contender Fabio Calabria – one of four riders on the pro squad who has Type 1 diabetes.

Former Ukrainian junior road race champion Aleksandr Surutkovych was also signed to add strength to the team's roster for one of the best-organised events on the international race calendar.

"The Tour of Ireland is a top-shelf event offering some of the best in European cycling," Beamon said.

"It is also a big opportunity to put Fabio in another major international stage race and give him an opportunity to not only contribute to the team's winning efforts, but also tell his story about controlling diabetes and taking charge of your life to a whole new audience."