Winston-Salem, N.C. – A flat rear tire nearly deflated Aldo Ino Ilesic’s hopes of scoring Team Type 1’s 50th victory of the season Sunday at the Hanes Park Classic in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Fortunately, the mishap occurred moments before the free lap period expired. Team Type 1 Technician Alex Banyay made a quick wheel change and shoved Ilesic back into the race. Three laps later, the 24-year-old Slovenian was freewheeling across the finish line with his arms in the air as race winner.

The internationally flavored podium of the National Racing Calendar (NRC) event was completed by Australian Ben Kertsten (Fly V Australia) in second and Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) of Argentina in third.

Ilesic’s victory was his third in the past five days and his sixth of the season. He earned a pair of victories at the Giordana Crossroads Classic on Wednesday (Mocksville Criterium in Mocksville, N.C.) and Thursday (Cabarrus Creamery Criterium in Concord, N.C.). It was also Team Type 1’s fourth win in an NRC event.

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Charlotte, N.C. – They didn’t win the race, but Team Type 1’s Aldo Ino Ilesic and Valeriy Kobzarenko made a memorable showing Saturday night at the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium.

In front of a massive crowd in Downtown Charlotte, N.C., the pair integrated themselves into the decisive breakaway of the 50-mile (80 km) National Racing Calendar (NRC) event.

But it was David Veilleux (Kelly Benefit Strategies) who pulled off the most heroic move of the night, soloing to victory from Ilesic, Kobzarenko and eight others who had left the field behind at the race’s halfway point.

Ilesic went on to finish second, winning the sprint of the remaining breakaway riders. Karl Menzies (OUCH presented by Maxxis) was third.

“He surprised us,” Ilesic said of Veilleux’s move that earned him a check for $12,500. “No one expected he would go. And only two guys were pulling to bring him back, Kobzarenko and Luis Amaran (of Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light). I had to wait for the sprint. That was my job.”

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Atlanta — Ukranian Valeriy Kobzarenko, who was one of Team Type 1’s most dependable riders in 2008, will return to the squad in 2009. At the same time, the second-year team announced the signing of promising young Slovenian sprinter Aldo Ino Ilesic.

The two join eight other riders already announced for Team Type 1, a team striving to instill hope and inspiration for people around the world affected by diabetes. Co-founders Phil Southerland and Joe Eldridge are two of four riders on the men’s professional roster who have Type 1 diabetes.

Kobzarenko is a three-time Olympian and past Ukranian national road race champion (1997). His season highlights include winning the Frank “Nap” Torpey Memorial Hills of Somerset County Road Race and finishing second on Stage 6 of the Tour de Taiwan and second on Stage 4a of the Tour de Beauce.

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