Alexander Pritchard

PROFILE

British athlete Alex Pritchard was only recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and after racing as a strong club rider in the UK, the 29-year-old gained an opportunity to have a trial with the Team Novo Nordisk Development team in January.

Pritchard didn’t pass up the chance and joins the Devo team as a late bloomer after impressing at the January training camp in Spain.

An active child, Pritchard’s first passion was rugby before getting into cycling when he started university in 2014. A year later Pritchard competed in his first race and was hooked.

It was on the way to a race that Pritchard started to be aware that something wasn’t right health wise. After a winter disrupted by sickness the then 28-year-old was heading to a weekend of racing in Nottingham when he realized he was rapidly losing weight and suffering from dehydration and fatigue.

Knowing something wasn’t right and recognizing the symptoms, Pritchard went straight to the doctors on Monday morning and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Initial shock passed with family support and the realization that he would still be able to be an active sports person, including a feeling of reassurance after a helpful look at the Team Novo Nordisk website.

Off the bike Pritchard has a PHD in Microbiology and is a self-confessed coffee nerd. On the bike, stand out moments include winning the opening stage of the Rás Tailteann in 2024, Pritchard won from the breakaway and enjoyed wearing the leader’s jersey on stage two.