The Linda McCartney Foods Cycling Team were in action in two countries this weekend. The elite team were taking on the Coupe de France one-day race of Cholet-Pays de Loire whilst the Linda McCartney-WCU development squad were at the Essex Grand Prix.

Cholet-Pays de Loire was preceded by a large early-morning function for a few hundred invited press and dignitaries. Team manager Sean Yates was interviewed for the audience and TV cameras at the team presentation on the big stage, and took time afterwards to reflect on how far the team has come in the past year.

"This was the first race we did last year," he remembered. "We were ushered up and off this stage first team of all, quick as you like. We've moved back three quarters of an hour this time and both Pascal and myself have been interviewed, so I guess that's progress!" Maurizio, Macca and Ben

The race itself, run off over one big lap of the rolling Loire country, was dominated by French teams. The winner was the in-form Jens Voigt of Credit Agricole. Linda McCartney's best finishers were Ciaran Power and Maurizio de Pasquale, well adrift in the third group on the road.

The UK team didn't fare much better at Halstead in the Essex GP, but victory went to one of Linda McCartney's former charges Russell Downing. "Fonzie," looking for a yearly placement with an Italian squad, broke away early on with a small group that were never caught.

"I've got to take some of the blame myself," said manager Keith Lambert. "I thought the race would come back together, but without powerful teams in the race, nobody wants to chase. Well done to Russell though, it shows he is still coming on." The Linda McCartney team we'll be monitoring his progress throughout the year.

The Linda McCartney-WCU team's best finisher was Manx rider Mark Kelly, who battled his way to 17th.