Pedal for 7 rides into Rochdale

Pedal for 7 with Dr Marlon Morais (fourth from the right)

Pedal for 7, a drive from diabetes company, Novo Nordisk, to inspire and empower people living with diabetes rode into Rochdale on Sunday 10 June, along with Dr Marlon Morais, a GP from Rochdale with an interest in diabetes, in a bid to raise awareness of the condition.

Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s first all-diabetes professional cycling team are leading the week-long tour in aid of Diabetes Week, which is taking place between 11 and 17 June.

Beginning in Sunderland, the riders will complete a 553 mile tour of UK towns and cities including Masham, Rochdale, Stoke-on-Trent, Worcester, Newport (south Wales), Newbury, Reading and Oxford.

Now in its second year, Pedal for 7 is so called due to its mission to inspire people living with diabetes to use exercise as a tool to help them meet advised targets for their HbA_1C levels (less than 7% for type 2 diabetes and less than 6.5% for type 1 diabetes). HbA_1C is the measure used to track sugar in the blood (blood glucose) over longer periods of time, and is an overall indication of how well diabetes is being managed.

The team will be joined by healthcare professionals and people living with diabetes along their route, and riders will visit the National Cycling Centre and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, in a bid to raise awareness of the condition, which has reached epidemic proportions in the UK with 3.7 million people now diagnosed. Here in Manchester, 31,510 adults live with the condition.

Sam Brand, Team Novo Nordisk’s first UK rider, said: “Pedal for 7 is a fantastic event because it gives us, the professionals, the opportunity to ride alongside other people living with diabetes and the healthcare professionals that are so key to their lives.

“From a rider’s perspective, the route takes in some stunning UK countryside, so it’ll be a real pleasure to ride. It’s also a route that will offer a challenge to pros and amateurs alike. For me personally, it’s a real pleasure to be involved because the UK is my home and I’m proud to be the flying the flag for Team Novo Nordisk as the first UK rider.”

Diabetes is one of the biggest public health challenges facing the UK today, with 10% of the NHS’ annual budget (£10bn) currently spent on managing the disease, of which 80% goes on managing largely preventable complications.

Achieving good diabetes control through reaching HbA_1C targets is a key part of addressing the impact that diabetes has on both people living with the condition, and the health service. A healthy regime, which includes regular exercise, has many benefits for those living with diabetes, and Novo Nordisk hopes that events like Pedal for 7 will draw on some of the current popularity of cycling and inspire people to take to the road.

Pinder Sahota, General Manager and Corporate Vice President for Novo Nordisk UK, said: “When we launched Pedal for 7 in 2017, it was the first event of its kind, and we’re delighted to be running it again this year.

“Pedal for 7 is all about inspiring people living with diabetes to take control, and demonstrating that achieving excellence in sport and a diabetes diagnosis are not mutually exclusive. Whether someone has type 1 or type 2 diabetes, exercise can be beneficial in managing the condition, as well as helping to prevent some of the complications associated with diabetes, such as cardiovascular disease and other vascular complications.”