THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING
Petacchi's recovery continues; Pinotti holds Giro lead
It was a bike stab to turn the page on a year of suffering.
Alessandro Petacchi jammed his bike across the line in Saturday’s seventh stage to win for the second time in a week and officially close the book on his long comeback from injury in last year’s Giro d’Italia.
The Milram rider timed his move perfectly to win a high-octane sprint on the Mugello race circuit ahead of Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole) and Paolo Bettini (QuickStep-Innergetic) by a half-wheel length.
“I am back at my best and I would like to thank the team because they never stopped believing in me,” said Petacchi. “Today was a finish that suited me well and it shows that I am getting back to my best to win on a day that’s expected I win.”
Petacchi has been haunted by doubt since smashing his kneecap in a crash in stage three in the 2006 Giro. A hurried comeback stalled this year at Milan-San Remo when he faded without contesting the final sprint despite his Milram crew delivering him to the line on the Via Roma.
Petacchi went a long way to erase those doubts with his emotional victory into Cagliari in stage three. After losing to Robert Förster in Thursday’s sprint, Petacchi delivered a clutch win Saturday to prove that the “Gentleman Sprinter” is closer than ever back to his dominant old self.
“After all the problems I’ve had the past year, it’s satisfying to be able to win for the second time in this Giro,” Petacchi said. “To beat the world champion and Hushovd is something to remember.”
Marco Pinotti also had something to remember as the sprinter teams helped reel in a four-man breakaway to keep him in the maglia rosa for another day. The T-Mobile rider enjoyed his day in pink as there were no major shakeups in the overall standings.
High-octane finale
The Giro’s longest stage at 254km was its most gripping so far, at least in the final few kilometers.
After a four-man breakaway was neutralized over the day’s lone obstacle at a Cat. 3 climb with 55km to go, the sprinter teams jammed it home to set up a mass gallop on the 4.7km circuit used in Moto GP races.
The peloton couldn’t quite reach the speeds the 500cc motorcycles regularly do on the track, but the 15-turn course made for an interesting finale.
Petacchi still had five Milram jerseys leading the way when the wide-open roads fueled the ambitions of other riders. With plenty of room to maneuver, others were trying to swarm “Ale-jet’s” slipstream.
As the course swept up a gentle rise with just under two kilometers to go, two-time Giro stage-winner Salvatore Commesso (Tinkoff) bolted out of the pack to throw panic into the Milram train.
Petacchi’s crew patiently reeled in the renegade when world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara (CSC) went on a solo flier just as Commesso was being swallowed up with 1km to go.
The big Swiss time machine churned his pedals and was only caught with 200 meters to go.
“I saw there was a slight hesitation in the bunch when they caught Commesso, so I thought I would make a run for it,” said Cancellara, who isn’t planning to make it all the way to Milan. “I knew it was a gamble and it almost worked.”
Alberto Ongarato was the last man standing for Petacchi and pulled with 200 meters to go to spring Petacchi. Cancellara floated back along the fences, squeezing Danilo Napolitano (Lampre) and Hushovd just as Petacchi opened up his finishing spurt.
“It really cost me on the climb and I used a lot of energy that I didn’t have later to win the stage,” Hushovd said. “My team really helped put me in position and (Julian) Dean put me on (Paolo) Bettini’s wheel. I lacked just a little to win.”
Pinned right on Petacchi’s wheel was reining world champion Paolo Bettini, who tried to come around Petacchi’s right shoulder but couldn’t quite find the finishing speed to take third.
“I was close in Sardinia (second in stage 2) and I was third today. I really want to win a stage in this Giro, but against this caliber of sprinters, I know it’s going to be difficult,” Bettini said.
No break this time
There was a festive atmosphere in Spoleto for the start of the longest stage of the 2007 Giro. Families and cyclists poured into the historic city center for an early, 10:10 a.m. start.
Overnight leader Pinotti was clearly enjoying his moment in the Giro sun.
“It’s every rider’s dream to have the maglia rosa,” Pinotti said. “I am enjoying this moment. We will try to defend the jersey today and I hope we get some help from the sprinters teams.”
T-Mobile was down to six riders at the start of the stage, but American rider Aaron Olson said Pinotti’s spell in the pink jersey would lift the team’s spirits.
“He’s a great guy. I rode with him last year (at Saunier Duval) and he really deserves this. We’ll try to defend the jersey as long as we can,” said Olson, making his second Giro start. “I’m feeling strong, but I have pretty bad allergies. I’m having a hard time breathing and the doctor says I have asthma.”
It didn’t take long for things to heat up when four riders attacked at 9km. In the move were Rubens Bertogliati (Saunier Duval), Aransolo Alzuburi (Euskaltel), Fabien Pantachon (FDJeux) and Elio Aggiano (Tinkoff).
With Aggiano’s presence, that meant that a Tinkoff rider has been present in every major breakaway through the first week of the Giro.
The quartet built up a maximum gap of 11 minutes, but the big sprinters didn’t want to let this opportunity slip away. By the time the leader’s hit the day’s main obstacle at the Cat. 3 Valico Croce e Mori, the gap was down to one minute.
The climb proved decisive when the bunch split, with such candidates as Hushovd, JJ Haedo (CSC), Robert Förster (Gerolsteiner) and three members of Petacchi’s Milram train getting caught out.
QuickStep surged the front and pinned their entire team at the nose of the peloton to try to drive a wedge, but the second group caught back on with about 20km to go.
The road ahead
The 90th Giro continues Sunday with the 200km eighth stage from Barberino di Mugello to Fiorano Modenese. The hilly opening half -- book-ended by the Cat. 2 Passo della Futa in the first 13km and the Cat. 3 Sestola climb at 94.5km – will all but guarantee an early breakaway. The mostly flat 80km run into the finish could spark a chase for the sprinters, who know they’re running out of opportunities.
Top Ten
1. Alessandro Petacchi (I), Milram, 254km in 6:14:44 (40.668kph)
2. Thor Hushovd (NOR), Crédit Agricole, s.t.
3. Paolo Bettini (I), Quick Step s.t.
4. Danilo Napolitano (I), Lampre, s.t.
5. Jose Joaquin Rojas (ESP), Caisse Espagne, s.t.
6. Alexandre Usov (BLR), Ag2r, s.t.
7. Maximiliano Richeze (ARG), Panaria, s.t.
8. Enrico Gasparotto (I), Liquigas, s.t.
9. Assan Bazayev (KAZ), Astana, s.t.
10. Koldo Fernandez (ESP), Euskaltel, s.t.
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