Petacchi to aim for 2010 and 2011 World titles

Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi wants to win the next two World Championships, 2010 in Melbourne, Australia and 2011 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He has support and encouragement from his future Lampre Team Manager, Giuseppe Saronni.

"The Worlds are one of my main objectives," Petacchi told Tuttosport. "One of the reasons Saronni wants me in team Lampre is so that I can concentrate on Melbourne and Copenhagen. It is very satisfying to be part of an important team like Lampre; one that is full of faith in me."

Petacchi leaves LPR Brakes at the end of 2009 and will race for Lampre-NGC for the next two seasons. Both years will include World Championships suited to sprinters. Petacchi heard about the Melbourne-Geelong Worlds course when it was presented by organisers in Europe last week.

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"I will call Robbie McEwen for more information," he said. "I can also call up my ex-teammate Brett Lancaster, who can give me some good advice."

The 2010 course is the first point-to-point Worlds, it takes the riders from Melbourne to Geelong, a distance of 85 kilometres. Once in Geelong, the peloton will ride 11 15.9-kilometre circuits, each including The Ridge climb (120 metres), for a total of 259.9 kilometres.

Petacchi has raced the Worlds twice as a professional. He lead Italian teammate Mario Cipollini to victory in Zolder, Belgium, in 2002 and was himself captain at the 2005 edition in Madrid. In Spain, he lacked the power to stay with the favourites and eventual race winner Tom Boonen.

"This is a reason for redemption," Petacchi continued.

He is currently preparing for his final races with LPR Brakes. He will race the Memorial Cimurri this Saturday, the GP Peccioli on October 8 and the GP Beghelli on October 11.

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