Having previously expressed some doubt as to whether he would be able to line out in the race, Alessandro Petacchi’s Lampre-ISD team has confirmed that he is now likely to compete on Saturday.
The 2005 victor suffered chest problems recently and was then hit by a cold. “Physically, I'm not bad. The problem is that I cannot breathe, I'm full of phlegm. I refused to take antibiotics, since up to twenty days ago, I was filled with asthma medication, which destroyed me,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
He said then that his sensations during a training ride today would determine if he would start or not.
He has now completed four hours training on damp roads, and has told team doctor Matteo Beltemacchi that he had neither coughing fits nor asthma attacks in that time.
According to the team, he still has symptoms of a cold but his presence at the start in Milan looks increasingly certain. He will remain in contact with the team between now and Saturday morming and a final decision will be made then.
He is set to line out alongside fellow Lampre-ISD riders Grega Bole, Matteo Bono, Francesco Gavazzi, Danilo Hondo, Manuele Mori, Michele Scarponi and Diego Ulissi.
Rival sprinter Tom Boonen also suffered from illness, although the symptoms eased in time for him to be able to compete in Tirreno-Adriatico. Like Petacchi, his preparation has been less than ideal, but neither can be ruled out if they can make it to the finish in the front group.