The Spanish Javier Megías, winner in 2007 of the first stage of the Tour of Chihuahua (Mexico), will be in charge of leading the options of the Novo Nordisk team in the ninth edition of the San Luis Tour.
Together with Megías, in the best test of the Latin American calendar, the Spanish David Lozano, the French Nicolas Lefrancois and Charles Planet, the Italian Andrea Peron and the Dutchman Martijn Verschoor will also be.
"We run to change diabetes," says those responsible for the team."Our goal is to obtain the best possible results while inspired, educate and train people affected by diabetes," adds Phil Southerland."It's our mission."
Way of 32 years, Megías is one of the team veterans.Its history is the story of so many affected by diabetes."As a child I played football. It was not bad, hence they called me butragueño," in honor of the former Real Madrid player."But I broke my cubito and radius and as my father was a cyclist, I also started riding a bicycle."I was 10 years old.
At 13, however, he began to feel bad."I suddenly came out and as nobody in my family is diabetic and we didn't know the symptoms, I had a very bad time. I spent a month hospitalized," he recalls.Also, in addition, almost 20 kilos were left in suffering.
Fortunately, however, he could do and highlight in the sport he loves."We have to take care of a little more than the rest of the cyclists, but we can make a normal life," he explains now, when he is about to be a father for the second time."I have voluntarily requested to go to the Tour de San Luis because it is a race that is very well organized and gives you a very good pedal point to compete later in Europe," he explains."The problem is that the level has risen in recent years."
Novo Nordisk runners, however, not only run to win or get good results, but to demonstrate that diabetes is not necessarily an obstacle."Since in the diabetics the pancreas does not manufacture insulin, glucose does not reach the cells, which are the ones that manufacture the energy, staying in the bloodstream," says the Spanish."We have to control the sugar," he continues, "carrying a strict diet and dispensing with some food, such as sweets, although I also give myself a whim," he adds naturally.
Fortunately, however, new technologies are changing life to diabetics."We carry a subcutaneous chip, under the skin of the gut, which continually measures glucose levels. It is nothing annoying, it is like a hair, although you have to change it every seven days," he explains.
The runners can see at all times the levels in an apparatus that carry in the pocket of the jersey."If they go down a lot, I have to eat; and if they go up, endure. But I no longer suffer the birds (faintness) from before, when I was blind and after five hours with the high glucose he wore the legs burst by the lack of insulin,".
Insulin punctures also tend to disappear, or as little have decreased."There is another device that carries insulin in a chip. I programs for a few days and during that time you forget everything," he says.
Not surprisingsport at the highest level.
