Mirko Puglioli, riding for the Linda McCartney Pro Cycling Team until the end of the season, rode an excellent Coppa Placci for his new team today.

The Italian classic starts at the motor-racing mecca of Imola, winds along the Adriatic coast then takes off for the heights of San Marino. This tiny fairy-tale mountain republic, topped with a sleeping beauty castle, gazes

Max Sciandri seen here at the Tour Down Under in January, won Coppa Placci in 1993 - (47kb)

down from it's eagle heights across the coastal plain, and forms a formidable obstacle for the men who intend to claim the Coppa for themselves. The first three home should give you an indication of this race's severity and importance: Francesco Casagrande, Davide Rebellin and Michele Bartoli.

The race split and reformed over the first furious 100kms, as a tailwind blew the riders through Marco Pantani's seaside hometown of Cesenatico. The Pirata lookalikes were out in force along the seafront, but their hero hadn't made the front group. Tayeb Braikia had made it for McCartney, a move appreciated by his teammates, as it meant they didn't have to lead the chase to recapture his split.

The field back together, Max Sciandri moved smoothly into the first few places accompanied by Mirko. Max took one of his finest wins on this day back in 1993, when he was a teammate of his manager Sean Yates at Motorola. The road into San Marino reared up above the riders, and neddless to say, the Italians needed no invitation to fly up the long slopes hell-for-leather. Max made the inevitable split, which by the top numbered only a dozen or so riders. The race moved on to a small but tough finishing circuit, and World No.1 Casagrande launched an unbelievably powerful attack.

"I felt ok, but when Casagrande went, there was no way of following," said Max. With bigger fish to fry in Sydney in a couple of weeks, Britain's top road-racer pulled over rather than bust a gut to finish in the top 15.

With his leader out of the reckoning, Mirko could have been forgiven for easing up himself, but he pressed on proudly. He was carried the McCartney colours with great purpose in all of his races and has been a credit to the team every time: today was no exception. He finished in the remains of the break a short time after the "big three," in an unconfirmed 21st place.