Illness shattered Danielle Bennati’s dreams of the Giro d’ Italia 2012
Daniele Bennati started the Giro d’ Italia with high hopes and was looking good to bag stages at the event.
He came close to the victory during the fifth stage of the race but could not match the likes of Mark Cavendish and Matthew Harley Goss.
The duo finished at the first and the second position and Bennati had to settle for the third position at the 199 kilometre stage of the race.
The 31-year-old has now withdrawn from the Giro d’ Italia because of his health constraints.
Bennati finished more than 23 minutes behind the race leader Paolo Tiralongo of Team Astana and his struggling health was evident during the race.
Nino Daniele is Team RadioShack-Nissan doctor and he has suggested that it is better for the cyclist and the team that Bennati should withdraw from the race before his condition gets any worst.
He briefed, “Daniele had fever after the stage yesterday and his temperature didn't go down in the evening and the night, on the contrary”.
“It's not wise to race with fever, so there wasn't really another option but to withdraw", he concluded.
The Italian has not opened his 2012 winning account and was looking ahead at the Giro d’ Italia as one of the biggest goals of his season.
Team RadioShack-Nissan was already struggling in the season and the loss of their star rider will just make things even more difficult for the team.
The Luxembourg based team has only managed two victories this year including the first place finish at the Strade Bianche and a stage 7 win at the Tirreno-Adriatico.
It is currently holding the seventh overall spot after the stage 8 classifications with a total deficit of 2 minutes and 2 seconds over the classifications leader, Team Liquigas-Cannondale.
Team Astana is holding the second position with Team Garmin-Barracuda and Team Lampre-ISD achieving the second and the third positions.
Team’s Sports Director Kim Andersen is hopeful that Bennati recovers in time to join the side for the remaining part of the season.
He noted, “We're very sorry for Daniele, he is of course disappointed. We'll look now how we can modify his race program so that he's back at the races as soon as he's better”.
Frank Schleck is leading Team RadioShack-Nissan at the Giro d’ Italia and he currently holds the ninth overall spot after the final general classifications.
Only time will tell, if Frank can hold his team together after losing Bennati during the coming stages of the Italian race.
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