Atlanta — Team Type 1 has announced the signing of promising young Belgian all-arounder Willem Van den Eynde while re-signing Australian Fabio Calabria, who proved to be a valuable stage racer for the first-year professional team in 2008.
Both racers have Type 1 diabetes, a chronic, life-threatening disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly destroys cells that make insulin. Calabria and Van den Eynde must constantly monitor their blood sugar and food intake while using insulin that is permitted by a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).
Team Type 1 Sport Director Ed Beamon said Calabria’s success in his first professional season provided the team with the confidence it can meet its stated goal to put a racer with Type 1 diabetes in the Tour de France by 2012.
“Starting the season when he was only 20, Fabio showed great maturity and discipline and played a significant role in virtually every one of our major international stage race successes,” Beamon said. “We are looking forward to his continued development, and expect to see him on the podium in 2009.”
