PETACCHI WINS GP ETRUSCHI SPRINT

Alessandro Petacchi GP Etruschi 2008

Alessandro Petacchi (Milram) started his season with a bang on Saturday, winning the GP Costa degli Etruschi in Tuscany with a powerful acceleration to the line.

Petacchi was worried about taking on riders who have already ridden the Tour of Qatar but showed his class in the final two kilometres. He lost the wheel of his lead out man Marco Velo as his rivals fought for position but pulled off what he described as a ?McEwen move? by diving in the inside of the final corner and moving up ten metres to retake his place at the back of the Milram train. On the straight and flat finish, Milram then strung out the bunch before Petacchi accelerated away to win the GP Etruschi by several lengths. The Italian sprinter celebrated his first win by patting his stomach in a sign to his wife who will give birth to their first child in May.

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