Alessandro Petacchi

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Alessandro Petacchi

---

image_caption = Petacchi pictured on 16 August 2006
fullname = Alessandro Petacchi
nickname = Ale-Jet
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1974|1|3
country = ITA
height = height|m=1.84
weight = convert|73|kg|lb st|abbr=on|lk=on
currentteam = LPR Brakes
discipline = Road
role = Rider
ridertype = Sprinter
amateuryears =
amateurteams =
proyears = 1996–1998
1999
2000–2005
2006–2008
proteams = Scrigno
Navigare-Gaerne
Fassa Bortolo
Milram
majorwins = Tour de France, 4 stages
Giro d'Italia, 19 stages & 1 points jerseys
Vuelta a España, 19 stages & 1 points jersey
Milan-Sanremo (2005)
Paris-Tours (2007)
updated = 15 August 2008

Alessandro Petacchi (born on January 3, 1974 in La Spezia, Liguria) is an Italian professional road cyclist. He joined LPR Brakes in August 2008 after being suspended for a doping offence.

Career

He turned professional in 1996, and last rode for Team Milram, along with another of the world's best cycling sprinters, Erik Zabel, following the disbanding of his former Fassa Bortolo team.

Petacchi's speciality is sprinting and his nickname is "Ale-Jet". His explosive speed has seen him take several stage victories in all three of the Grand Tours. In 2004 he won a record nine stages at the Giro d'Italia, which resulted in him winning the "maglia ciclamino" for topping the points classification. He managed his first victory in a major Classic race in 2005, triumphing at the Milan-Sanremo.

He withdrew from the 2006 Giro d'Italia after crashing during the third stage. It was subsequently discovered that he had finished the stage with a fractured kneecap. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/4759847.stm|title=Petacchi upbeat after operation|publisher=BBC] . In 2007, he returned and won five stages in the 2007 Giro d'Italia, bringing his tally of ProTour victories up to 21 and making him the cyclist with most UCI ProTour victories.

Doping allegations

After a non-negative result for the Asthma drug Salbutamol (which Petacchi has clearance to use), Petacchi was placed on non-active status and missed the 2007 Tour de France. [cite news | url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/jul07/jul05news | title= Sidelined Petacchi facing 12 month suspension | publisher=CyclingNews.com | date= 2007-07-05 | accessdate= 2007-07-05] Petacchi was then absolved by the Italian Cycling Federation when they deemed any overuse of Salbutamol as simple human error. [cite news | url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/24072007/58/giro-d-italia-petacchi-absolved-doping-blame.html | title= Petacchi absolved of doping blame | publisher=Eurosport.com | date= 2007-07-24 | accessdate= 2007-07-24]

On May 6, 2008, the Court of Arbitration for Sport banned Petacchi until the end of August, applied retroactively from last November. CAS also announced that "all competitive results obtained during the 2007 Giro d'Italia shall be disqualified with all of the resulting consequences including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes". Results obtained after 31 October 2007 and during the period of ineligibility will be disqualified. [cite news | url=http://www.tas-cas.org/en/infogenerales.asp/4-3-690-1092-4-1-1/5-0-1092-15-1-1/ | title= Alessandro Petacchi suspended until 31 August 2008 | publisher=tas-cas.org | date= 2008-05-06 | accessdate= 2008-05-06]

As a result of this, on May 16, 2008, Petacchi was fired by Team Milram. [cite news | url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/16/sports/EU-SPT-CYC-Petacchi-Milram.php/ | title= Alessandro Petacchi leaves Milram after drug ruling by CAS | publisher=International Herald Tribune | date= 2008-05-16 | accessdate= 2008-05-16] . After his suspension he joined LPR Brakes

Palmares

;1998:1 stage Tour de Langkawi;2000:Stages 8 & 12, Vuelta a España:2 stages & GC Giro della Provincia di Lucca:2 stages Tour de Luxembourg:2 stages Route du Sud:1 stage Regio Tour;2001:2 stages Settimana Lombarda:1 stage Euskal Bizikleta:1 stage Tour of Poland:1 stage Settimana Coppi & Bartali;2002:Stage 12, Vuelta a España:Stage 1 & 5, Paris-Nice:3 stages Vuelta Valenciana:3 stages Settimana Coppi & Bartali:1 stage Tour Méditerranéen:1 stage Regio Tour:1 stage Ronde van Nederland;2003:Tour de France::: Winner stages 2, 4, 6 & 7:Giro d'Italia::: Winner stages 1, 5, 6, 13, 16 & 17:Vuelta a España::: Winner stages 3, 5, 12, 14 & 21:Stage 1, Paris-Nice:3 stages Vuelta a Aragón:2 stages Ronde van Nederland:1 stage Vuelta Valenciana:Trofeo Luis Puig;2004:Giro d'Italia:::Winner "Maglia ciclamino" (Points classification)::Winner Most Combative classification::Winner Azzurri d'Italia classification::Winner stages 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16 and 21:Vuelta a España:::Winner stages 2, 4, 7 and 13:Stages 1, 2 & 7, Tirreno-Adriatico:2 stages Giro della Provincia di Lucca:2 stages Vuelta a Aragón:1 stage Ronde van Nederland;2005:Giro d'Italia:::Winner stages 10, 13, 16 and 21:Vuelta a España:::Winner Points Classification::Winner stages 3, 4, 8, 12 and 21:Milan-Sanremo:Stages 1, 6 & 7 Tirreno-Adriatico:Stages 1 & 2 Tour de Romandie:3 stages & GC Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana:GP Costa Degli Etruschi:Trofeo Luis Puig:2 stages Vuelta a Andalucía:2 stages Vuelta a Aragón;2006:Stage 7 & Points Classification Tirreno-Adriatico:GP Costa Degli Etruschi:Giro della Provincia di Lucca:5 stages & GC Internationale Niedersachsen-Rundfahrt:2 stages Ruta del Sol:2 stages Vuelta Valenciana;2007:GP Costa Degli Etruschi:3 stages & GC Internationale Niedersachsen-Rundfahrt:3 stages & GC Volta ao Algarve:1 stage Vuelta Valenciana:1 stage Regio Tour:Vuelta a España:::Winner stages 11, 12:Paris-Tours;2008:Tour of Britain: ::Winner stages 1, 6, 8:Memorial Viviana Manservisi

ee also

* List of doping cases in cycling

References

External links

*trapfriis|italy.Petacchi.htm
* [http://www.team-milram.com/en/team_rider_details.asp?riderID=22 Profile at Team Milram official website]

Persondata
NAME= Petacchi, Alessandro
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Road bicycle racer
DATE OF BIRTH= 1974-01-03
PLACE OF BIRTH=La Spezia, Italy
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=