Alessandro Petacchi (Milram) will make his long awaited return to racing in the Due Giorni Marchigiana (August 8-9). Petacchi broke his left kneecap in the opening stages of the Giro d'Italia in early May, and after a three month break, will race again on Wednesday in the 26th Gran Premio Citta' di Castelfidardo. Petacchi hopes to be fit by the Vuelta a España, which starts on August 26.
In Tuesday's Trofeo Mengoni, Tour de France white jersey Damiano Cunego and 2005 ProTour winner Danilo Di Luca will be among those present. Others include Giro del Lazio winner Giuliano Figueras and teammate Salvatore Commesso (Lampre-Fondital), Mirko Celestino (Milram), Rinaldo Nocentini (Acqua e Sapone), Emanuele Sella and last year's Due Giorni overall winner Luca Mazzanti (Panaria).
In all, 21 teams are down to start, including the following favourites:
Milram (Celestino, Petacchi)
Lampre-Fondital (Cunego, Figueras, Commesso)
Liquigas-Bianchi (Di Luca, Kreuziger, Mugerlj, Capecchi)
Ceramica Panaria-Navigare (Sella, Mazzanti, Baliani)
Team Barloworld (Caccia, Bonomi)
Naturino-Sapore di Mare (Fischer, Ascani, Simeoni, Agnoli, Marinangeli)
Acqua&Sapone-Mokambo (Nocentini, Tonti, Andrea Masciarelli, Simone Masciarelli)
Tenax-Salmilano (Bossoni, Bertuola, Murro)
Ceramica Flaminia (Kuschynsky, Angeloni)
OTC Doors-Lauretana
Miche (Niemec)
Team Lpr (Aggiano, Valoti)
CB Immobiliare Caffé' Universal
Androni Giocattoli (Bailetti, Ferrara)
Amore & Vita-Mc Donald's (Gasparre, Jones)
Selle Italia-Diquigiovanni (Anza', Barbero, Missaglia)
Perutnina
Adria Mobil
Tinkoff
Endeka (Miorin)
Hadimec
