I looked at the list of finishers of yesterday's stage in the Gazzetta dello Sport website and I couldn't find Petacchi's name. Did he retire from the race? Or is it just my bad eyesight?

I looked at the list of finishers of yesterday's stage in the Gazzetta dello Sport website and I couldn't find Petacchi's name. Did he retire from the race? Or is it just my bad eyesight?

He' still in... Finished 25 minutes back from wonderboy Cunego.

Here's a little rant involving Petacchi. The cycling media seems to have given him the nickname "Ale-jet". Is it just me or is this nicename a little weak for such an impressive sprinter. Is there some kind of wierd Italian double meaning to Ale-Jet that a poor American like me can't understand? I like "Super Mario" and "Lion of Flanders" but Ale-Jet? Come on!

Ale-Jet roughly translates into "like a jet," or thereabouts. Perhaps it is not as suave as "Super Mario," but Pettachi isn't as suave as Cipo either. Still, he is a remarkable bike rider.

Ciao!