The Linda McCartney Pro Cycling Team have taken promising American rider Matt De Canio on a trial.

Matt has been riding with the US National Squad under the tuition of Lance Armstrong's coach Chris Carmichael. Based in Carmichael's favoured training grounds in Boone, North Carolina, he has spent the winter and spring building his fitness for an assault on Europe. He was US Junior Time Trial Champion in 1995, and is known as a good rider against the clock, but also someone who can drive along on the flat. The French would call him a "rouleur".

"I used to think I was a climber until I went to Italy and saw how the real climbers go!" laughed the easy going Virginian.

Matt spent 1998 riding for the Italian Filati development squad, where he got to know David McKenzie, but his introduction to the Linda McCartney team came through former Motorola coach, Noel de Jonckheere.

"I've known Noel for many years, first when we were at 7-Eleven then the Motorola set-up," explained team manager Sean Yates. "He works with young riders in Belgium now, and I asked him if there were any people in particular that he would recommend to us. He had no hesitation in naming Matt De Canio."

Matt's impressive record includes 17th place in the World Under-23 Time Trial Championship, and a good finish when the World Road Race Championship was in Lugano back in 1996.

"I'm so excited to get the chance to join a team like Linda McCartney," said Matt when he arrived at the team's Toulouse HQ on Monday. "I've been racing in America, but the racing here is something else. I'm going straight into the Tour de Vendee on Sunday, and Paris-Camembert on Tuesday."

Matt is looking forward to riding with his new teammates.