20 Mar 2021
TEAM Pro Team
STAGES 1
TEAM Pro Team STAGES 1
Team Novo Nordisk make a special return to one of cycling’s five monuments, La Classicissima, Milan – San Remo.
After a couple of years away, the world’s first all diabetes professional cycling team return to the Italian classic and will line up on the Via di Chiesa Rossa in Milan on March 20th with one thing in mind….getting in the breakaway and showing off that number on the jersey. The number 100. 100 years since the discovery of insulin. 100. years of life for people with diabetes. 100 years of opportunities for people who otherwise would not have had them.
Cycling’s first monument of the season unfolded in fine style for the world’s first all diabetes professional cycling team taking the initiative by not only making it into the breakaway but creating it with attacks by Andrea Peron and Charles Planet. 300 Kilometers later they made it to San Remo.
Head sports director Massimo Podenzana:
“What a day for us today! I am so proud of all of our guy’s. We set out to achieve a goal today and we achieved it. There was so much preparation that went into this race from everyone in this team and to see how these guys started on the attack and forming the breakaway made me emotional.”
“We are a special team, and this is a special, but very difficult race and that cannot be underestimated. It’s not easy to go in the breakaway here, everybody wants to be up there, and Charles and Andrea were the ones who made it and with that they made our day.”
Andrea Peron:
“Last night before the race we were trying to relax, trying not to think about the race, talk about what we’re going to do at home, but we kept coming back to the race and what might happen…what we could do. So, to get back to the bus after over 250 kilometers in the breakaway is just amazing.”
“It was hard, really hard. But it was worth it. I attacked after maybe three or four kilometers and was alone for what felt like ages before the other guys made it over to me. Charles came flying out of the bunch a few minutes later and that was it. We had made the breakaway. Now we just had to stay there.”
Charles Planet:
“Somebody asked me after the race what would you say about today? Honestly, all I could say was ‘really f*cking tough day in the saddle.’ Because it was, there’s no other way to put it. I was full gas to make it over to Andrea and after that we worked really well to stay away for more than 250kilometers.”
“Today we showed what is really possible with Diabetes. It’s not easy. It takes a lot of work from everyone in this team and when it works we reap the rewards and achieve our goals.”
