Alessandro Petacchi will miss Giro d'Italia because of bronchitis

amplify image

Alessandro Petacchi. Photo: EFE

Italy's Alessandro Petacchi will miss this month's Giro d'Italia because of a bout of bronchitis and Germany's Erik Zabel will take his place, Team Milram said on Saturday.

"With regret I have to give up the Giro d'Italia," the sprinter, who has 24 Giro stage victories to his name, said in a team statement.

"Up until yesterday I was convinced I would go, even though I was in a terrible state.

"But after discussions with General Manager Gerry Van Gerven, we have decided not to rush things this time and prepare for the Tour de France in the best of ways, without risking a relapse."

"I would not have been useful to the team, so it's right to leave my place to someone who can do something good."

The three-week Giro starts next Saturday.

Petacchi is awaiting a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling on whether he should serve a ban for testing positive for salbutamol during last year's race.

The Italian Olympic Committee's anti-doping prosecutor said he should be banned for a year but 4he Italian Cycling Federation rejected the finding, arguing that he used the salbutamol in his asthma inhaler. The final decision is expected from CAS shortly.