Alessandro Petacchi pure class

tcklyde

"Today my team as always worked extremely well, very professionally. You have to remember in this regard that Guido suffered a very bad crash before the Giro - I think he has seven fractures; but my wins are as much due to the team as they are me."

Although I feel for O'Grady (but hey, isn't a medal nice) and Zabel, Petacchi is having another great Vuelta. Man I wish I could watch in the States.

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Harry

keydates

Wonder how Zabel feels getting second place so many times.

mareblu

Alessandro is one of my favorites! hot and cool! too bad he's engaged!

Roadrash Dunc

Have you seen the sprints on tv yet? He isnt only winning , he is winning with ease.
Ok the last one Zabel pushed him close , but Pettachi sat up and coasted the last 20 metres - he has more in there if he needs it.He really is class.
The Fasso train are a sight to behold coming into the straight.Theyve really been on form so far but its going vertical soon so their job is done.
The only messy sprint finish was the one Oscar took where the Fasso train were not able to control the front (CA tried to control it for O Grady but failed) and it turned into a free for all with some guys in the mix who really had no chance.
Alot of people take the train for granetd , but it takes alot fo skill , power and most of all tactics to get that right - makes flat stages interesting when teams like Fasso are involved.

Virenque

The question is what can Petacchi do without his train? Zabel, O`Grady, Freire and others are alone! I would like to see all the best sprinters without their trains! The way Petacchi is winning sprints looks so easy..

Roadrash Dunc

I agree , imo McEwan is one of the best sprinters because he doesnt need a train BUT if you got one and can use it , go for it.Also , using a train isnt simply a matter of sticking behind a guys wheel - its knowing when to make the mad dash.

Fasso train is awesome because each guy at the front knows exactly when to peel and Pettachi knows exactly when to hammer it.Some riders are actually better without trains.
Pettachi might not win mixed up and dirty sprints but id still put him in the bracket of one of the best of his generation.No one gets passed him when he starts with a lead , that shows strength.To beat him you have to be ahead of him early and his train - thats not easy.

oely

I agree with what your saying here. Im no expert at all but from my observations over time Petacchi seems to be able to just keep increasing his speed when hes sprinting, getting faster and faster while Robbie seems to be have a a real quick acceleration to his top speed. Either way they are both going damn fast and its fun to watch. I would prefer a down and dirty argy bargy sprint to the line thou as opposed to a fassa train. Not taking anything away from Petacchi. I enjoy seeing the fassa guys lead him out, it looks like perfection at times but i just like that sort of every man for himself sprinting to the line. On another note too, Mcewan looks like he might have his own Omega Pharma train next year. Pretty sure he´s got Henk Vogels in as well as some other guys for this purpose. He was desperate to get him.

In this Vuelta, Petacchi is about the only real super sprinter there i think. Not taking anything away from the others they are all worthy of winning a sprint finish but O´Grady is not a pure sprinter at all, he can sprint and hes damn fast but he wont win that many dashes for the line. Father time has take some speed from Zabel over the past couple of years and Freire is a bit like O´Grady. Would of liked to of seen at least 1 or 2 of the other super fast finishes this year riding at the moment. Mcewan, Boonen, Hushovd, Cooke, Kirsipuu even Hondo and Nazon. Though Petacchi would still probably win more than the others.

Roadrash Dunc

Yeah pretty much agree with all that oely.

Boonan was at the ToB - quite surprised by that.I think he was tired after the TdF and didnt want to do another gruelling 3 week race.Shame - a head to head with him and Pettachi would be cool.

Cooke was seriously bad this year TdF - what happened to him?
Hondo , Nazon and Kirsipuu are all pretty handy but i think the big 3 right now are Pettachi , Boonen and McEwan with Hushovd somewhere between the 2 groups.
I hope those big 3 all ride the Giro and are at their best.Will be awesome.

Zabel , O Grady and Oscar are as you say now the 'nearly men of sprinting - although Zabel was the best in his day.
They still have a great chance to win the points/sprnters jersey when they enter a large stage race though because they are pretty handy at getting through a tour without being shelled out the back on mountains and can pick up lots of points on intermediate sprints , but i dont class them as pure sprinters anymore capable of winning stages.
Zabel is just too old and whenever another thoroughbred sprinter is well placed he always loses out and comes 2nd now.

Virenque

Yes Zabel`s days are over! But he impressed me a lot with his performance in mountains! I see him as one-day-race specialist in future! And another thing - every race he participated, he went to the end! Also if he didnt win even a stage, he is still there, fighting in every sprint, climbing over all climbs, ...!

Roadrash Dunc

Zabel's 34 , he doesnt have much of a future

Super professional and had a great career so would be nice if he can get one or two more stage wins but even the 1 day classics are going to be tough for him at 35 if any of the young guns enter.Silly bugger should have won Milan-San Remo if he hadnt been celebrating too early - that would have capped his career nicely.

oely

He had some sorta back related leg problem or something. Couldnt get any power into his pedalling so he never got going at all. Not sure if they have fixed the problem. FDJ always seem to get this sort of half mysterious problems each Tour now.

Roadrash Dunc

Wow really? i thought that was McGee who pulled out? Was Baden helping him move the same olive tree?

Virenque

Hehe, good one..