PETACCHI DENIES ALLEGATIONS

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Lawyers of Alessandro Petacchi, the Italian cyclist, stated that he had no idea that he was being tested for alleged drug practices before the Tour de France race. The organizers of the Tour de France, which is the biggest race in the biking circuit, have very harsh rules laid down for bikers who are investigated for drug abuse. The lawyers have come out with a statement via the Lampre team on whose behalf Alessandro Petacchi races, that he had no idea about the investigation and came to know about the probe only on the 12th of July, 2011.

Alessandro Petacchi could not be present for a hearing where he was summoned by the Padova prosecutor, but Alessandro Petacchi’s lawyer, Virginio Angelini denied that Petacchi knew about the summons prior to the race in Tour de France. Angelini said that the Padova prosecutors had called Alessandro Petacchi on the 12th of July, way after the Tour de France, and not during it, to be present at a hearing and answer a few questions regarding to alleged drug use, which is in no way related to the present season.

The spokes-person of Lampre has said that they would stand by Alessandro Petacchi, until after details are revealed. Alessandro Petacchi’s lawyer has said that he will go all out to defend his case and prove his innocence. After he had lost the green jersey to Norwegian Thor Hushovd, Petacchi had said that he was hiding nothing and would talk to the prosecutors as soon as the race is over.

Alessandro Petacchi had been banned for a year, three years before and he said that maybe he was not told about the investigation in order to help him finish the tour properly. He would go for the 28th July investigation and if there had been banned substances found in his house, and then obviously he wouldn’t have been allowed to compete in the race.

PETACCHI DENIES CLAIMS

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Italian cyclist Alessandro Petacchi has denied claims that he had anything to do regarding the crash on the first day of the Santos Tour Down Under 2012 that severely injured three cyclists. The first stage of the race, which is 149 kilometers long, witnessed one of the biggest crashes in the history of the race that saw three cyclists Frederic Guesdon, Jurgen Roelandts and Matteo Montaguti seriously injured and rushed to the hospital to assess their injuries. At the end of the race, Andre Greipel, who won the stage, blamed the 38 year old Italian for causing the collision.

According to Greipel, Petacchi moved across the peloton from the right to the left, causing the accident and went on, not bothering about the crash behind him. Greipel also added that the 38 year old was a big star in the cycling world and these things shouldn’t be done by him and he should have kept to his own line. However, these claims were vehemently refuted by Alessandro Petacchi, who claimed that he had nothing to do with what happened. It happened behind him and other than hearing about the crash; he had no idea about what was going on behind him.

One reason for this angry claim made by the German Greipel is that he will miss his team mate Roelandts throughout the entire duration of the race as a precaution. He was also moved to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for an X-Ray of his collar bone.

However, the race officials, who have reviewed the video footage of the crash have given the clean chit to Alessandro Petacchi, saying that his movement during the last kilometer of the race was not considered as a violation of the racing code of conduct and there are no grounds for Greipel to be making such claims.