Following the introduction of their No Needle Policy in where professional cycling teams are prohibited from injecting their riders unless it’s of medical necessity, the UCI has announced the new regulation will not apply to self-administered insulin shots for cyclists with diabetes.
One team that will welcome this news is Team Type 1 - sanofi-aventis. The Professional Continental outfit was co-founded by CEO and former professional cyclist Phil Southerland and Joe Eldride, to raise awareness of diabetes around the world.. The team aims to show diabetics that they can perform at the highest level of sport, despite the disease.
In an official statement from the UCI’s Director of Anti-Doping Services, Team Type 1 were told that "riders can continue to inject insulin themselves, provided that they have a valid TUE for the use of the substance for the treatment of diabetes."
A therapeutic use exemption is required for all athletes with type 1 diabetes on Team Type 1 - sanofi-aventis, and needs to be validated annually from a doctor. The TUE will also exempt type 1 diabetic athletes from reporting their insulin injections to the UCI doctor.
Currently 6 riders on the team are competing with Type 1 diabetes. They are Fabio Calabria, Joe Eldridge, Alex Bowden, Martijn Verschoor, Olaf Kerkhof and Javier Megias Leal.
"Any person with diabetes is empowered by the independent control he or she has over the disease, and athletes with type 1 diabetes are in many cases their own best doctors when it comes to managing their disease.” said Southerland. “We are grateful to the UCI for clarifying this exemption from the No Needle Policy for Team Type 1 - sanofi-aventis and for all athletes with diabetes."
The American registered team has high hopes of one day competing in the Tour de France. They’ve showed their intent by strengthening their line up this year, adding Alexander Efimkin, Laszlo Bodrogi and Tour de France stage winner Rubens Bertogliati to their roster. The move to bring Efimkin on board has already paid dividends with his recent overall victory at the Presidential Tour of Turkey.