Team Valdarno is the UCI women's incarnation of a team that has been running for over 15 years as a men's U23 team. The team founder, Carlo Cardinali, has an 'office' on via Vittoria Veneto with wonderful old photos of riders in various victory salutes, and officials sporting questionable facial hair.

He also owns the team house, across the road, where I'll be living for the next 6months. When I arrived here last Wednesday, there were 4 vibrant, fast talking and friendly teammates already here and I spoke more inglese than all of them put together, but we got along just fine.

Then, on Friday evening, la Campionessa arrived. Tatiana Guderzo won the UCI road world championships in Mendrisio last year in an emphatic solo break, and she seems to have been a very popular winner amongst her fellow 'flame azzuri!' There was a flurry of activity (and dare I say, hysteria): her bed was selected, washing done, and the girls sat eagerly on the floor while she unpacked her luggage in my room.

Poor bugger, her only room-mate and I could barely communicate with her! We compared tattoos, though, that allowed us to bond (I won). The remainder of the squad flew in from various Italian provinces so we could have pizza at 10pm (very uncivilised for us jetlagged types!)

The next morning involved a team ride in some nice hills behind Terranuova Bracciolini where we're based. As we casually rolled long in the fog, 4 cars of media took video footage of the others chattering at 200 words/minute and me either nodding and smiling (default mode) or looking confused.

There were plenty of local gents tagging along behind, hoping to get a glimpse of the jersey wearers (although, if this were Beach Rd, you could safely assume that anyone wearing the World Championship stripes, or any National Champion jersey would be a local gent on a european bike with 11 speed). And after a kajillion photos and mid ride interviews, we got back to la casa to all put on our devastatingly stylish presentation ensemble.

If you ever wondered what it would look like to assemble 12 women of various sizes in Diadora trainers, slightly stretchy, but low waisted grey trousers, a too-short women's waistcoat and a white blousy blouse, your days of wondering are over.

With no threat to Carla Bruni's status as most stylish Italian woman, we arrived at Hotel Fontebussi, in the gorgeous rolling hills of Cavriglia, Toscana. Media and sponsors were welcomed by il Presidente (my airport driver), Leonardo Gigli and there began a series of speeches by men in dark suits, with various fiscal interests in the team.

The riders were presented individually, as the Direttori Sportivi, Gian Carlo Montedori, spoke about our strengths and what the season ahead would bring. He's usually a  tight jeans from 1992 + navy seamen jumper and beanie kinda guy most of the time, so he had frocked up in an incredible suit and scarf for the occasion, and now I was starting to work out what this was about: put the riders in bad, ill fitting fashion and let the rich old men wear Armani. Hmmm.

More food, vino, and hand shaking followed. We drove home in the team van with the girls shamelessly singing off key along with the latest Italian #1 single (note to self, must learn words to that one). After snow on day 2 and 3* and rain on day 3, it was a perfect day in Italy, and I felt pretty cool, knowing that this was my team and my job for the next 6 months. Of course, we haven't raced the Spring Classics yet....