Spencer Smith - Bad Crash

The Linda McCartney Foods Cycling Team are facing a testing time at this weeks Settimana Lombardia in Italy.

Illness meant that Olympic Champion Pascal Richard was unable to start the race when it began on Wednesday, leaving a starting line-up of Max Sciandri, Maurizio De Pasquale, Ciaran Power, Spencer Smith, Tayeb Braikia and Matt Stephens.

Wednesday's stage was uneventful, with a day-long break being dragged back by the main field right on the finish line, with all members of the team safely inside the main pack.

Yesterday's route was a different story, however. Torrential rain, freezing conditions and a 20% mountain climb dictated that things would not run smoothly, and Max Sciandri's early exit with a back spasm was a blow.

"I didn't really want Max to carry on in pain and do himself more damage with important races coming up," explained team manager Sean Yates, the forthcoming Giro d'Italia on his mind.

But the team's trials didn't end there. Firstly, the man earmarked to be the team's front man when the race hit the big climb, Matt Stephens, suffered a puncture. Loyal teammate Spencer Smith gave up his back wheel to Matt, then waited for service from the team car.

Spencer was fighting his way back up the steep slopes, following a marshal's motorbike, when an errant car caused the motorbike to swerve. Left with nowhere to go, Spencer found himself catapulted over the barriers and down the mountainside.

The race ambulance was quickly on the scene and recovered the former World Triathlon Champion from his unintentional mountain biking expedition, and found that he was fine save a few bumps and scratches. But it meant that the McCartney squad had lost another rider.