Two brothers from Ramsey with a burning ambition to represent their island in the forthcoming Commonwealth Games have signed to ride for the same pro team.

Tom and Leon Mazzone have each agreed terms with the resurrected professional team Holdsworth-Campagnolo - the official name is yet to be confirmed.

’It’s been a busy few weeks trying to finalise everything for next year, but I am now very pleased to say that I will be racing for Holdsworth-Campagnolo in 2018,’ said Tom.

’This is a huge and exciting project to be involved with. I have been talking to the team’s performance manager Russ Downing about it for a little while, but now everything is set in stone next season can’t come quick enough,’ admitted the 24-year-old.

Another former top professional, Malcolm Elliott, has also joined the team in the role of directeur sportif/general manager. Combined with Downing, they will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the riders and the Mazzone brothers are looking forward to taking guidance from them.

’It is still early to say exactly what the team’s race programme will be in 2018,’ continued Tom, ’but Malcolm and the management are currently looking into some UCI races across Europe early in the season with aspirations of getting an invite to contest the Tour de Yorkshire in May, along with the rest of the UK calendar, hopefully leading into the Tour of Britain in September.

’Personally, they have also been very supportive of my goal to ride for the Isle of Man in the Commonwealth Games in April, making sure everything is in place leading into the games so I can perform well.’

Although the Isle of Man team for the Gold Coast Games in Australia is yet to be confirmed, at least one of the two young talents is likely to be in the final reckoning.

Leon Mazzone celebrated his 21st birthday yesterday (Wednesday) and is thrilled at the prospect of riding for the resurrected team: ’Joining Holdsworth is a huge step up for me, personally. With the history behind the team, it’s really exciting for everyone involved.

’Plans for 2018 are in full swing, with a big objective of receiving an invite for Tour de Yorkshire in May.

’Our main sponsors are based in Sheffield and it would be fantastic to see the team there in full force.

’The race calendar is still being discussed but it’s looking likely that we will be doing a few races in Europe through the season.

’The Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast is also a big goal of mine so all-in-all, 2018 is set to be an exciting one with lots of valuable experience to be learnt.’

This year Leon was based in Belgium where he rode for the illi-bikes Cycling Team. Supported by the James Berry Fund, Nigel Watson at Luviair Ltd and Patricia Wild Opticians.

He was eighth in the Under-23 National Road Race Championships (third Manxie in the overall standings behind Peter Kennaugh and Mark Cavendish) when credited with 37th place overall in the event on home soil in late June.

Based in Herselt, he rode in numerous road and circuit races across Belgium, notably grabbing third position in an elite/u23 120km road race at Niel after being in a 10-man break for more than 100km.

Tom, riding for the Metaltek Kuota team, concentrated on the British Premier Calender races and UCI one-day and stage races across the UK and Europe, plus the National Tour Series and the British Cycling National Elite Road and Circuit Series.

He had welcome support from IoM Steam Packet Company, as well as Patricia Wild Opticians, Conister Bank, Greystone Accountants and Kate Stobart.

The brothers were key components for Team Isle of Man in two major races in Ireland.

Over Easter, they rode Ras Mumhan, a prestigious four-day stage race in the south of Ireland where Leon gave his elder sibling the perfect lead-out to win the opening stage and go into yellow.

Tom was sixth on stage two and Leon fourth on the 155km ’Queen Stage’ on day three, taking the lead in the U23s white jersey competition, with fifth on the stage.

The latter was runner-up on the final stage to secure second overall on general classification, only 12 seconds behind the winner, with Leon sealing the white jersey.

In the Suir Valley three-day based round Clonmel in early August, the pair grabbed a second apiece on the first two stages, while Tom won the evening criterium race in heavy rain, as well as all the hot spots, with Leon second.

Ultimately, Leon was fifth on GC, winning the green points jersey, with Tom 25th on GC and first in the hot spots competition, helping the Manx team to third overall.

RENEWING A MANX

CONNECTION WITH nigel dean’s former TEAM

Holdsworth-Campagnolo were active throughout much of the 1960s and 1970s, during which time former leading Manx professional cyclist Nigel Dean rode for them during the 1973, 1974 and 1975 seasons - one of his highlights being Tour of Switzerland.

At that period the team was arguably one of the best in the country, claiming a then unique hat-trick of consecutive wins in the British Road Race Championship for Keith Lambert (1974), Les West (1975) and Geoff Wiles (1976).

Dean left to ride as team captain for Falcon in 1976 and Holdsworth-Campagnolo was disbanded in 1978.