Cycling News: Team Type I Founder Phil Southerland's appeal to support the Tour of Missouri

Support the Tour of Missouri

Team Type 1 founder and CEO Phil Southerland has written an open letter to Missouri’s Representative Allen Icet calling for his support in funding the Tour of Missouri. The Show Me state’s stage race was established in 2007 and has featured some of the biggest names in the sport including George Hincapie, Mark Cavendish and Christian Vande Velde, but is now under threat due to a potential loss of funding.

In his letter to Representative Icet Southerland writes:

The purpose of my note is express my professional cycling program’s support of one of the greatest bike races in the United States: the Tour of Missouri. The mission of Team Type 1 is to instill hope and inspiration for people around the world affected by diabetes. We believe that with appropriate diet, treatment, and technology, anyone with diabetes can achieve their dreams. We are living proof of this mission as 52 of our 66 competitive athletes have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

As a participant in the Tour of Missouri in 2009, Team Type 1 was able to reach the 325,000 citizens of Missouri who have been diagnosed with diabetes. As you know, the Tour of Missouri was also beneficial to your state, bringing in $38.1 million in economic development from a $1.5 million investment by the state of Missouri. For each of us, the Tour of Missouri is a ‘win-win’.

With the state of Missouri leading the national percentage of adults who have been told by a doctor that they have diabetes, 9.1% to 8.2%, respectively, the partnership of the Tour of Missouri and Team Type 1 can en- courage Missourians to make a positive change in their health and lives.

Our belief is the bike is a tool for healthy living and diabetes management. And the Tour of Missouri is a powerful way to promote this message among Missourians and the rest of the United States. I sincerely urge you to support the funding of the Tour of Missouri for 2010.

Sincerely yours, Phil Southerland Founder and CEO, Team Type 1

You can help support the 2010 Tour of Missouri:

• Contact Missouri officials in support
• Donate to the Tour
• Join the Support the Tour page on Facebook
• Join the Support the Tour twitter page
• Visit TourOfMissouri.com for more info