Diabetes Fans Help Team Novo Nordisk Celebrate UAE Tour Closer

02 March 2019

Race: UAE Tour, Stage 7

Start/Finish: Dubai/Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Distance: 145 kilometers

City Walk, Dubai, UAE — The seven-day UAE Tour concluded on Saturday with a 145-kilometer race beginning in Dubai Safari Park and finished along Dubai’s City Walk. Team Novo Nordisk kicked off the day by welcoming several families with type 1 diabetes at the race start.

After fighting for four consecutive days in the breakaway for the Abu Dhabi Aviation intermediate sprint jersey classification, Charles Planet started the day wearing the black jersey again. He was in second place in the intermediate sprint classification and the plan was to place him in the breakaway for the final stage.

A rider attacked immediately from the start and two riders followed his attack establishing a three-man break. No Team Novo Nordisk rider made the break.

The break was reeled in with less than three km remaining on the day with Sam Bennett (Bora-Hans) taking the win in the bunch sprint. Team Novo Nordisk’s Andrea Peron was the team’s best-placed rider in 20^th.

In the end, Planet finished second in the intermediate sprint classification, nine points behind jersey winner Stepan Kuriyanov (Gazprom-RusVelo).

Team Novo Nordisk proudly closed out the only World Tour race in the Middle East with cheers from local families with type 1 diabetes. The riders were greeted by children at the finish line who were inspired to keep chasing their dreams while living with diabetes.

The world’s first all-diabetes pro cycling team continues racing with a different squad at the eight-day Tour du Rwanda on Sunday.

Vassili Davidenko:

“After seven days with long stages, long transfers and a lot wind and of course racing against the top riders in the world, I would say it was an amazing week and the guys did a great job.

We fought for points, Charles was in the breakaway on many stages and all the guys did a great solid job supporting him throughout the race. We can see the team is stronger and more united than ever before. This race continues to show what is possible with diabetes.”