Alessandro Petacchi's participation in Milan-San Remo this weekend is in doubt. The Lampre-ISD sprinter is still suffering from a cold and asthma, giving him breathing difficulties.
Petacchi, who won the race in 2005, was going to do a four-hour trainting ride on Thursday and then determine whether he would ride on Saturday.
“In the past weeks the bronchial asthma of Petacchi flared up,” team doctor Matteo Beltemacchi said in a press release. “The cold weather of Tirreno-Adriatico was not so good for his situation and, in addition, the therapy for the asthma caused a weakening of his immune system: Alessandro suffered for a cold that flared up his asthma.
“Anyway, Petacchi is a very professional athlete and he’s training with toughness in order to be at the start of Milano-San Remo.
Petacchi already had to delay his first races this season due to his health problems. Instead of riding the Tour of Qatar he was in hospital with serious bronchial asthma. So far this season he has ridden the Giro di Sardegna and Tirenno-Adriatico, although he abandoned the latter race on the sixth stage.
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