Did you think an all-diabetes pro cycling team was possible?

In the beginning…did you think an all-diabetes pro cycling was possible?

Martijn Verschoor: In the beginning, I think it’s almost impossible, especially on the Pro Continental level.

Fabio Calabria: We didn’t know, first off, if we could find the riders, because…there’s only so many people in the world with type 1 diabetes. And then, in that pool, there’s only so many people who race bikes.

Stephen Clancy: I like to see myself as an optimistic person, but for sure there was some big doubts in the back of my mind like, no way, like six months previously I was racing against, you know, the amateur domestic Irish scene, and yeah…it seemed like too much to ask, but in the end of the day- yeah we had our struggles, but it was doable.

Martijn Verschoor: When the season started and after the first training camp, and maybe the second training camp, we started believing it’s possible.

Fabio Calabria: Phil did a really good job of building a team and building a good support structure for those riders and changing the direction of the team from a team, which spread a great message to a team which spreadsa great message by showing people what’s possible as well as talking about it.

Debuting an all-diabetes team…

Fabio Calabria: The mood at Laigueglia in 2013, that first race, there’s a million and one different things going on at the same time. There was nerves, there was excitement. I’m sure everyone was a little bit scared at the same time. But I think the overwhelming feeling that came out of all of that was just the feeling of excitement that this project that everyone had worked so hard to bring together and produce was happening. We were there.

No matter what happened during the race we were on that start line, and we were going to give our all. And that’s all you can ever do.

What does the future hold for Team Novo Nordisk?

David Lozano: I really didn’t think we could be where we are right now. So it’s incredible how big we are growing all together. And everyone is believing more in the project, so this makes me think, like this is going to go farther than 2017 and more.

Javier Megias: The first thing I’m really proud of is my teammates. I think the guys are improving, ]and they are getting a lot of experience. So now we race all together always.

Martijn Verschoor: The team is getting stronger and that we can compete with the best guys in the world. So I think it’s a big surprise. And I’m happy, all the guys get better and better, and I think we have some guys who are going to surprise us next year.

Fabio Calabria: I think if you take the time to look at the team from the very beginning to where we are now you can see that there’s never been a backwards step. Every step the team has taken has taken the team to bigger and better things, and to be able to do that in the course of nearly 10 years is pretty special.

Stephen Clancy: For me, I would hope to achieve our dream of making to the Tour de France, and, I mean, in the meantime, to make it to some of the other Grand Tours or just to keep that progression going and achieve our targets.

Javier Megias: We really believe we can even win, so if we work together, all the power together, it’s success- for sure.