Team Type 1 confirmed Professional Continental squad in 2012

Team Type 1-Sanofi has been confirmed as a Professional Continental squad based in the United States for the 2012 season. General Manager Vassili Davidenko said he received official confirmation from the UCI early this week.

"There was some minor concern from our fans last week when the UCI announced its preliminary registry of top teams, but there were loose ends in some of the banking paperwork, and we spent a few extra days working closely with the coordinators in Switzerland to cross the Ts and dot the Is. I'm very happy to say that the extra work paid off and our re-registration as a Pro Continental team went off without a hitch," Davidenko said.

"Rwanda for us is really at the very heart of our organization," added Team Type 1 CEO Phil Southerland. "We race against a very tough field on a very hilly course in a beautiful African country, and at the same time we bring over enough donated diabetes test strips and glucose meters to help almost 650 young type 1 Rwandans live better lives. When we leave, a mechanism remains in place to distribute the supplies equitably and continue to educate health care providers in detection and care of diabetes patients. For us Rwanda is a win-win."

The 2012 squad will gather in Arizona in early December for a training camp. "Next year we will triple our race calendar around the globe, building on a 2011 season that saw us in China, India, Australia, Turkey, South Africa, Singapore, Korea, all across Europe and at home in the biggest races in the United States. We have new riders from France, Norway, Italy, Austria, Russia and America, and we're very excited to get together in Tucson and prepare for the 2012 season," Southerland commented.