By Tim Maloney, European Editor
"A lot of people have been talking and have unloaded a lot on me for a world championship that didn't turn out well for Italy. Up until now, I didn't want to say anything. but preferred to take a few days to reflect on what went wrong and make a rational analysis of the situation. I'm not talking to respond to any specific comments, but rather to give my side of the story."
"What happened is pretty simple: I am a man, not a machine. I have enough experience to be able to understand what my condition is during a race, but I don't have a red light on my handlebars that flashes when during the race, I'm about to run out of gas, nor a crystal ball that can tell me if I'll have enough strength to do my best in the final sprint."
"With 10km to go in the world championships, I thought I was feeling 'normal'. I didn't have the same condition as [Milano] Sanremo this year, but with the same feelings, I've won plenty of races this year. Often I've said [to my team-mates] that I'm not at my maximum because I don't feel great, and my team-mates who lead me out know it well. Sunday, I only realised that I wasn't good on the final lap when the climb began. I had less energy and I realised that in the biggest race of the year, I just didn't have the strength to stay with the first riders."
"Anyone who is a cyclist, or for years has written about cycling, knows that this can happen."
"Two years ago at Milano-Sanremo, after the Poggio, I was convinced that I could win. However, when the pace increased, I realised that I would not be up there in the sprint. This year, when the pace went up before the sprint, I wouldn't have bet on myself; however, remember how that Sanremo finished."
"The world championship of Madrid was one of my major objectives of the season, and as always, I prepared for it with the maximum commitment. But I knew that while wearing the Italian national jersey, I would have been really happy if an Italian would have won, above all Bettini."
"To be a leader of our Italian national team is a very satisfying honour, approached with maturity and intelligence, so I can say that I would not have hesitated to help another Italian win. If I had felt at 50km to go that I was 'out of gas', I would have clearly told the team. Unfortunately, it happened with 10km to go, when the final tactics of the race were already established, but I was hoping for a miracle."
"So for that reason, I can accept, as a racer, if they are saying that Petacchi didn't have the strength or class to win the world championship, you can decide for yourself. But as a man, I can't tolerate that someone is implying that I was disloyal to the Italian national team."
"I'm sorry that somebody made me out to be a capricious prima donna, who puts his own interests ahead of those of the Italian national team. I'm just a rider who did his best to win the world championships and unfortunately, I didn't win. It's a bitter ending, but as an athlete, I can accept it."
