The real deal starts here. The Linda McCartney Pro Cycling Team successfully negotiated the first stage of Tirreno – Adriatico today. The “Race of the Two Seas” is the biggest hurdle that the squad have faced in their short history, and the team’s presence here in Southern Italy proves that they are now a genuine force in world cycling.

As if to underline the quality of this field, the first stage was won by Mapei’s new Spanish superstar Oscar Freire, resplendent in the World Champion’s rainbow-ringed jersey. In second place was the man who has captured four successive Tour de France green jerseys, Germany’s Erik Zabel.

All eight of Sean Yates’s McCartney selection finished safely, even though the pace was hot enough to effectively destroy the overall victory hopes of men like former world no.1 Michele Bartoli and Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich, both men losing significant time already.

The cosmopolitan McCartney line-up comprises Britons Matt Stephens and Max Sciandri, Aussie David McKenzie, the Swiss Olympic Champion Pascal Richard, local boy Maurizio De Pasquale, Scandinavians Bjornar Vestol and Tayeb Braikia and Ireland’s Ciaran Power. Matt was passed fit after some strenuous fitness tests, following a scare over a painful knee. The man who has started the year in such great form pulled up in Sunday’s warm-up Trofeo Pantalica with the problem, but has been rated as fit to take his place. He finished comfortably in the bunch.

In another region of Italy, beautiful and remote Umbria, the Linda McCartney-WCU development squad are being put through their paces at a Prestige resort training camp under the watchful eye of Chris Lillywhite. They will be raring to go at Sunday’s opening Premier Calendar event, the Starlight Grand Prix in Sussex. Giving the Under-23 squad a boost will be Ben Brooks, the McCartney elite team’s Australian making a foray to British shores to continue his early season racing.


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