Recycling.co.uk/MG Xpower/Litespeed's ten man squad took off to the sunny climes of Sardinia for their pre-season training camp in association with team sponsor www.activepeoplecycling.co.uk.
Sardinia provided an ideal location for the team to prepare for their first season as a UCI Continental Professional road and track squad, and although some of the team have been involved with various track and road races already, it was the first time they were able to train together officially as a squad.
Expert knowledge of local roads was the domain of Active People Cycling's Jamie Fixter, making sure riders' training plans went to schedule; they were able to cover long hilly stretches or more specific speed endurance sessions on flat, smooth and traffic free roads, such is the variety of the squad's racing programmes. Just like teams such as T-Mobile, who recently trained in Mallorca, the Recycling.co.uk/MG Xpower/Litespeed team enjoyed the conditions to kickstart business in 2005.
In preparation for the Track World Championships, which are only a matter of weeks away, pursuiters Manning, Newton and Hayles were able to avoid the bad weather in the UK and get some quality miles in their legs. After returning from Sardinia all riders will be engaged in a busy racing programme - Rob Hayles, Chris Newton, Russ & Dean Downing rode at Revolution 8, and the complete team is due to ride the Eddie Soens Memorial race at Aintree on March 5, followed by one group travelling to South Africa for a 5 day stage race and another squad taking on the domestic opposition at the Mersey Roads two-day.
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