After it was revealed Alessandro Petacchi fractured his kneecap on the third stage of the Giro d'Italia, forcing an early withdrawal, the Team Milram sprinter underwent further X-rays at the San Rossore hospital in Pisa yesterday. There, Professor Mario Spinelli, who carried out the diagnostic tests, told Petacchi his knee will need to be kept under observation for another two weeks.
"They said to me the position of the bones are perfect, but there still isn't sufficient new bone structure to shorten the recovery," Petacchi explained in a team statement. "I will therefore have to remain immobile for another two weeks and then undergo further X-rays in fifteen days' time. I clearly hoped for better news, but as I already said, the important thing is to have a full recovery so the remainder of my season is not compromised."
