Alessandro Petacchi is the clear favourite to lead team Italy at the World Championships next year in Copenhagen. Italian head coach, Paolo Bettini made the announcement yesterday after he previewed the course yesterday.
"In Italy," Bettini told La Gazzetta dello Sport, "there is only one rider who after 250 kilometres knows how to win a finish like this: Alessandro Petacchi."
The race, September 25, starts in Copenhagen and then travels to a suburb Rudersdal in the north. In Rudersdal, the race takes in 18 laps of 14 kilometres each.
"The circuit is easy, but not as easy as Zolder [Belgium] in 2002. It is more like Madrid in 2005. It is for a strong rider, just like Alessandro Petacchi or Thor Hushovd," continued Bettini.
Bettini won the World Championships in 2006 and 2007 for Italy. He took over the role of head coach on June 16 after former coach Franco Ballerini died on February 7.
Bettini designated Filippo Pozzato as captain at this year's Worlds in Geelong, Australia. The race ended in a small sprint, where Pozzato took fourth behind winner, Norwegian Hushovd.
Next year's race will suit more of a pure sprinter. The circuit's major difficulty is a climb at 2.5 kilometres into the 14-kilometre circuit.
"It is important to manage the tactics of the course. Our team will have to always together. The last kilometres are not easy to manage and the last two lead-out men have to do their job to perfection," added Bettini.
"There is another Italian suited to a finish like this, but he has yet to win a course more than 250 kilometres. I am talking about Daniele Bennati and I would be very happy to be able to have him as our leader, but he has to ride well from the Hamburg Classic [in August] onwards."
Bettini will work to select the team throughout next year and make his final decision by early September. Today, he will preview the time trial course with the women's and Under 23 coaches.