Daragh Campbell is to travel to the US to take up a place with the ProContinental Team Novo Nordisk; seen here second in line riding at home last year, with his brother Ciaran to his left (Photo: Amy Norah Farrell)
After being offered a trial with US-based ProContinental outfit Team Novo Nordisk last year, Co Louth teenager Daragh Campbell has been offered a full time place with the team for 2014.
He will ride for the development squad of the squad made up entirely of riders with Type 1 diabetes, a conditional Campbell was diagnosed with in 2008.
Having come up through the ranks of Drogheda Wheelers in recent years, Campbell was offered the opportunity to attend a training camp with the squad in Georgia last year and then rode the Junior Tour of Ireland with a junior selection entered in the Irish race by the team.
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He followed up that outing by riding the Junior Tour of Wales with Novo Nordisk, a clear indication he was beginning to become part of their long term plans.
In a development which underlines the team’s commitment to the futures of their young riders, Campbell will not be wrenched from the family home in Drogheda for the full year.
Instead, he will sit his exams in Ireland in June and will then travel out to the US to join up with his team mates.
While spending the first half of the year in Ireland and preparing for his exams, he will race in domestic events in the colours of Novo Nordisk before leaving Ireland in late June to focus on his racing and taming his diabetes under the guidance of the ground breaking team.
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One of four racing cyclist brothers, Campbell will not be alone when he travels to the US, with U23 international Stephen Clancy from Limerick already having ridden with the team this year.
The former Limerick CC man will be on hand to help his younger compatriot settled into life in the US and the life of a full time bike rider.
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Campbell flew out to California on December 9th last for a 10-day training camp in Santa Barbara; vital training he will need now that he is making the transition from the junior to U23 ranks.
Diagnosed with diabetes aged just 13 years, Campbell made contact with Novo Nordisk team principal Phil Southerland. The American and the team he founded had already been helping Campbell to bring consistency to his training and racing despite his condition.
That learning curve appeared to be paying off in the second half of last year, with solid rides in the junior tours of Ireland and Wales.
He also took a bronze medal in the junior race at the Leinster Road Race Championships during the summer.
Moving to the US to be permanently under the watchful eye of the health experts of the team and also experiencing the high level of US racing should see further improvements in his performances.
We’ll hopefully catch up with Campbell in the next few days for a chat about what is a very exciting time for him, not to mention an invaluable opportunity to shake off any restrictions his condition brings.
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