Team Type 1 speaks to students about diabetes

Five members of Team Type 1 will pay a visit to a California elementary school to speak to students about Type 1 diabetes, the importance of bicycle safety and what it is like to be a professional cyclist.

Morgan Patton and Willem Van den Eynde - two of six racers on the Team Type 1 professional men's and women's teams who have Type 1 diabetes - will be joined by Jacquelyn Crowell, Samantha Schneider and Dan Holt on Wednesday afternoon at Solvang School.

Students in the fourth through sixth grades will hear the five pros discuss Team Type 1's training camp in the Santa Ynez Valley. The 16 men and eight women on the team's pro squads will be training and attending meetings and sponsor presentations in Buellton through Sunday, Feb. 1.

During Wednesday's presentation, Team Type 1 will talk about preparations for next month's Amgen Tour of California, and explain how their Orbea bicycles are different from the bikes the children ride. The 30-minute program will be followed by a question-and-answer and autograph session.

Team Type 1 is the only professional cycling team with athletes who have Type 1 diabetes. In 2009, the program has expanded to include the women's professional team, a triathlon team, a development team and two teams - Team Type 1 and Team Type 2 - for the Race Across America (RAAM). Team Type 2 is made up solely of athletes who have Type 2 diabetes.

(Additional editorial assistance by Susan Westemeyer and Antonio J. Salmerón.)