Gallery: The winning career of Alessandro Petacchi

Just months after his 39th birthday Alessandro 'Ale-Jet' Petacchi announced he would retire with immediate effect. 'The Gentleman' as he was affectionately called due to his quiet nature and apparent dislike for the hustle and bustle of bunch sprinting, enjoyed a long and prosperous 18-season career and has more than 180 victories to show for it.