St. Louis – Team Type 1 enjoyed a trio of success Monday by earning the Drury Hotels Most Aggressive Rider jersey, a third place in the final race of the Tour of Missouri Womens Series and a runner-up fiinish in the last National Racing Calendar (NRC) event of the season.

The remarkable day in the history of the cycling program that serves to inspire people affected by diabetes was summed up best by Team Type 1 Founder Phil Southerland. He addressed the massive crowd at the finish of the Tour of Missouri in Downtown St. Louis.

“What we’re trying to do is raise awareness that people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, with good control and a healthy diet and lifestyle, can achieve great things,” Southerland said. “Thank you, Missouri, for having us.”

Team Type 1’s Moises Aldape was the talk of the opening day of the seven-stage, 611-mile race. The Mexican Olympian figured prominently in a three-man breakaway during the 10-lap, 75-mile circuit race. By winning two of the three intermediate sprints along the way and being the last of the three to be caught by the chasing pack, he climbed into second overall. He was also awarded the Most Aggressive Rider jersey in a vote of a panel of four journalists.

“I’m very happy – for me, for our team and for people who have diabetes who watched today,” Aldape said. “I didn’t expect this.”

Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia-HTC) easily won the bunch sprint to take the overall lead.

Aldo Ino Ilesic got things started for Team Type 1 thousands of miles away from St. Louis with his second place in the 100K Classic in Atlanta. The traditional Labor Day event features a downhill, high-speed finish at the end of the 62-mile road race. Ilesic said his CatEye Micro Wireless computer registered his finish speed at 90 kilometers an hour (56 mph).

“I was spinning out in my 55 x 11,” Ilesic said. “There was no time to wait or I would be swarmed. So I hit it and (race winner) Frank Travieso started his sprint from behind me. The last 50 meters went slightly uphill and that’s when he passed me.”

Ilesic’s placing was his fifth podium finish at an NRC race and the 115 top-three placing by the Team Type 1 men’s professional squad this year.

In the morning in St. Louis, Team Type 1’s Samantha Schneider used her sprinting prowess to earn her third straight, third-place finish in the Tour of Missouri Womens Series. Brooke Miller (Team TIBCO) sprinted to victory to sweep all four races of the Labor Day weekend series.

“I’m really pleased and happy to have been able to help the team finish the season strong,” Schneider said. “There’s room for improvement, but I’m just happy to been able to compete against Brook (Miller), (reigning U.S. national criterium champion and Sunday runner-up finisher) Tina Pic and (third-place omnium competition placer) Laura Van Gilder.”

Photo by: Bob Cullinan – CycleTo.com