Team Type 1 will get its first taste of hors categorie racing in the USA in the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T which beings on Monday. The squad will line up with a diverse roster aimed at delivering a stage victory either in the bunch sprints on the flat roads of the early stages, or in the mountains which come later in the week.
The first few stages will be the domain of sprinter Emile Abraham or breakaway artists Moises Aldape, Ian MacGregor, Fabio Calabria or Valeriy Kobzarenko, while Australians Glen Chadwick and Matt Wilson and American Chris Jones will aim for the hills.
"I think it's a really solid squad as long as everyone stays healthy," said team director Ed Beamon. "We should able to contribute to an aggressive race and put on a good show and hunt for some stages."
The team tasted success earlier this year in Asia, where Shawn Milne took second place overall at the Tour de Taiwan and second on the team classification at the Tour of Langkawi. Unfortunately, Milne could not race the Tour de Georgia due to a broken thumb sustained at the Redlands Bicycle Classic two weeks ago. Also sidelined by injury is Team Type 1 co-founder Phil Southerland, who would have been competing in his "home" state (he lives in Atlanta), Jesse Anthony (Achilles tendon) and Daniel Holt (broken wrist).
"We've had injury after injury and after injury," Beamon said. Two riders on the squad will toe the line after recent recoveries from illness and injury. Wilson will see his first racing action since breaking his wrist in a training crash on March 19 and Glen Chadwick has recovered from a bout with Epstein-Barr Virus following the Tour of Langkawi in February.
Team Type 1 is also inviting fans to visit the team's sponsor booth Sunday, April 26, at Centennial Park in Atlanta. Part of the Health & Wellness expo, the booth will feature Team Type 1 sponsors Dex 4, Nuun, OmniPod and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Tour de Cure. Product samples, information and the chance to win prizes will precede a free autograph session by members of Team Type 1 following that day's race.
