Shooting Star: Alessandro Petacchi Starts Season Strong with Two Wins at Reggio Tour

Lampre's new star signing Alessandro Petacchi has started his season on a high note, taking two of four stages at the Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria-Challenge Calabria, a small stage race in Italy. Lampre signed the 36 year old sprinter hoping that he would deliver wins right away, and the tall Italian has not disappointed at this early point in the year.

Petacchi is an interesting rider in that he has had an up and down career that has featured a variety of problems and successes over the years. He has been injured and banned for doping (he was later cleared), but has also managed to be recognized as one of the best sprinters of his generation. And unlike most legendary athletes, he has not remained with one team throughout his career, but rather has had to find success in a variety of situations on a variety of teams.

Lampre is Petacchi's 5th team in his 14 year career, but like always "Ale Jet" seems ready to deliver big results. He is impervious to changes in his career and has found ways to win on every team that he has been a part of. Last season riding for the LPR Brakes team he notched 10 wins despite being shut out of many races due to LPR's status as a lower level team, so his association with the Pro Tour Lampre squad should see him surpass that win total in 2010.

In looking at the remainder of his season, Petacchi can have high hopes to win at a variety of races throughout the year. Already a one time winner of the Milan-San Remo race, Petacchi will be on the short list of favorites once again in 2010. Behind a stronger team he should have a very realistic chance of taking "La Primivera" once again. In the early summer meanwhile he'll contest the giro, where he'll hope to add to his career win total of 21 wins in his home tour.

As his career has progressed, Alessandro Petacchi has set himself apart as a true survivor of professional cycling. Through injury and bad press he has persevered, and as a reward he'll be remembered as one of the most dominant sprinters of the 1990s and 2000s. At 36 his career is heading toward its end, but he still has the top end speed to contend as a front-line team leader in the sprints for the next couple of years. After passing his skills onto a younger charge he'll likely retire, but before that expect a big 2010 and possibly 2011.