To say Novo Nordisk stagiaire Brian Kamstra got thrown into the deep end this week at the USA Pro Challenge would be a massive understatement.
The 22-year-old Dutchman moved from the all-diabetic team’s development squad to the Pro Continental team with just a handful of bike races under his belt; he entered his first bike race with the development team in April at the 2.2 Joe Martin Stage Race in Arkansas.
Kamstra may be new to cycling, but he isn’t new to competition. He is a four-time Dutch national champion in cross country running and won the European Cross Country Running Championship in 2011.
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But Kamstra knew something was wrong in 2013 when he trained harder, yet his performance decreased. After seeking medical attention, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The diagnosis actually came as a relief for Kamstra because it was a manageable condition that allowed him to continue competing. With the help of his health care team, Kamstra resumed running as soon as he could.
But a chance encounter with Novo Nordisk’s Martijn Verschoor at a diabetes charity ride in 2014 eventually led to Kamstra’s start this week in Colorado.
“He introduced me to the team, we sent an email and they invited me to their training camp in Spain,” he told Cyclingnews Wednesday in Aspen. “I did some physical tests there and they were amazed. They offered me a spot on the development team. So I joined the development team and now I’m here.”
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