Matthew Stephens of the Linda McCartney Foods Cycling Team is recovering at home in Crewe from the knee injury that stopped his progress in the Giro d'Italia.

"I was really upset for a couple of days, and I moped around a bit, but I'm ok now," said the former British Champion today. "I take comfort from what my mates achieved there, and I wish I could have been with them for the end in Milan, but it wasn't to be."

Matt's specialist has told him that he was extremely wise to stop when he did. "He said that I have created a bit of tissue damage by riding while it was injured: you use muscles you don't usually use, and it's pulled the joint slightly out of alignment. Apparently I am very lucky I didn't attempt the Alps, as they could have screwed up the whole season."

Matt was initially hoping to ride the Giro dell Appenino with his teammates in Genova this Sunday, but after discussions with Sean Yates, the pair agreed that a comeback at such a demanding race might be a bit premature. "Instead I'm going to do the National Criterium Championships in Birmingham the following weekend, and go to the National Road Race with Max the Sunday after that."

Also on the agenda is a meeting with his fellow British Olympic hopefuls and their coaches and selectors. "Unfortunately that falls on the same day as the Manx International which I would have liked to have done, but there was no other available date to get everyone together."

Matt, Max Sciandri, Chris Boardman, Jeremy Hunt, David Millar, Jamie Burrow, Charley Wegelius, Roger Hammond and John Tanner are the men in the picture for the five places available for the road race in Sydney. "I guess a lot depends on Chris, as in the past he has opted to do just the time-trial, but we will have to wait and see. Whoever wins the Nationals is very likely to have one foot on the plane to Australia, so it's an important race."

Pascal Richard is expected to return to the McCartney line-up at Genova, along with Giro heroes David McKenzie, Max Sciandri, Tayeb Braikia, Ciaran Power and Maurizio De Pasquale. The squad have a stopover at the HQ in Toulouse afterwards, then it's off to Spain for the younger guys and the Circuito Montanes.