Blue jersey: Vegard Stake Laengen (Team Type 1 Sanofi)(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Rémi Cusin (Team Type 1 - Sanofi)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)
Team Type 1 worked hard for today(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
Team Type 1-Sanofi was created by diabetic Phil Southerland to raise awareness of Type 1 diabetes, and it has historically included diabetic riders in its rosters, but reports from Norway are now suggesting the team intends to shift its focus to creating a full roster of diabetics for 2013.
When contacted by Cyclingnews, the team would neither confirm or deny the report from Procycling.no, but said it would be making a statement later this month.
The Norwegian website reported today that Olympian Vegard Stake Laengen, 23, has been asked to find a new team along with other non-diabetic riders.
His agent Mattia Galli said the team would uphold contracts if riders cannot find new teams, but that they have been encouraged to look with the team's assistance.
"At the moment we do not know what the future will bring, but I do not think there is a problem to find a new team. We have spoken with two or three WorldTour teams and two to three Professional Continental," Galli said.
If the reports are true, it would impact Jure Kocjan, who this week won two stages in the Tour du Limousin and all but six of the other 23 riders. The only diabetics on the current roster are Fabio Calabria, Joe Eldridge, Javier Megias, Alex Bowden, Martijn Verschoor and trainee David Lozano.
It could also signal a shift away from French title sponsor Sanofi. The team specifically hired Remi Cusin, Julien El Fares and Julien Antomarchi to please the Paris-based multinational pharmaceutical company. Cusin has been rumoured to be signing with the new Swiss project IAM Cycling.
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