New team, new Petacchi

ByEurosport

Published 25/03/2006 at 15:03 GMT

Despite dropping out after 130km of the Dwaars Door Vlaanderen, make no mistake. Alessandro Petacchi is serious about finishing the Tour of Flanders. The Italian sprinter has never completed the legendary classic, but this time he vows to go all the way.

CYCLING 2006 Milram Zabel Petacchi

Image credit: dpa

Petacchi on the Muur de Grammont?

It used to be that the Italian sprint king would get off the bike as soon as the road started to rise. That certainly was the case in his two previous Flanders forays as he failed to finish in 1997 and 2002.

But after the Italian sprinter, who signed for new team Milram over the winter, showed a new face in Tirreno-Adriatico, competing for uphill stage wins and showing that he'd worked on his strength during the off-season.

Giro d'Italia

Petacchi gains revenge

14/05/2007 at 15:28

By taking the start in Dwaars Door Vlaanderen and the E3 prijs Harelbeke, he's shown his willingness to mix it up on the cobblestones.

"I know that one needs a particular spirit for this distance. I won't start aiming to win, but it will be good for my experience and to complete my professional skills," Petacchi told Milram's official website.

Many criticized Petacchi's decision to boycott the Tour de France last year and focus on the World Championships, a move that backfired when he got caught out in the final kilometres in Madrid.

His new strategy could mean bigger and better things for a rider who has never finished the Tour de France and in the nearer future, help for Erik Zabel.

The veteran German finished fourth last year and hopes to do better this time around:

I think we can do well," said Zabel ahead of Sunday's Brabantse Pijl.

"[Flanders] is different from all the other races: it needs a different mental approach."

Results: Brabantse Pijls

Pro Tour 2007