PETACCHI AND DI LUCA FOR TOUR OF BRITAIN

Danilo Di Luca and Alessandro Petacchi have been named in the Team LPR Brakes line-up for the Tour of Britain.

The race could be Petacchi?s first competitive outing for months as he is currently banned for a doping-related offence until August 31.

Petacchi?s will be free to race when the Tour of Britain starts in London on September 7.

Last summer, the sprinter exceeded the amount of salbutamol he was permitted to use to treat his asthma and was suspended from racing. Although the Italian Cycling Federation quashed this suspension, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld it on appeal and banned him from racing, stripping him of his race results from October 31 2007.

The 34-year-old was fired by his Milram team in May, but was handed a contract by Team LPR Brakes and will return to racing in their colours when he?s allowed to.

Di Luca, 32, won the 2007 Giro d?Italia and was leading the UCI?s ProTour competition when he was suspended from competition for three months for consulting with Dr Carlo Santuccione, who was on a list of banned doctors issued by the Italian Olympic Committee after allegedly being involved in a doping network in Italy.

Di Luca?s suspension coincided with the close-season. This year he finished eighth in the Giro d?Italia.

Mick Bennett, technical director of The Tour of Britain said: ?I?m pleased to be able to welcome LPR to The Tour of Britain and am sure that their inclusion will benefit the race, as both Petacchi and Di Luca are more than capable of winning stages and possibly the overall too.

?Like everyone else I?m also excited by the prospect of seeing Alessandro Petacchi going head-to-head with Mark Cavendish in the sprints, which should make each day?s stage finish unmissable.

?Having LPR ride The Tour of Britain adds to what was already our best ever line-up of teams and riders, which I?m sure will make this year?s race the best yet.?

Highlights of the Tour of Britain will be broadcast on ITV4

LPR BRAKES FOR TOUR OF BRITAIN

The provisional line-up is Alessandro Petacchi, Danilo Di Luca, Claudio Cucinotta, Roberto Ferrari, Alessandro Maserati and Alessandro Spezialetti.

2008 TOUR OF BRITAIN TEAMS

Agritubel

An Post-M.Donnelly-Grant Thornton-Sean Kelly Cycling Team

Barloworld

Columbia

CSC-Saxo Bank

Garmin-Chipotle

Great Britain

LPR Brakes

MTN Energade

Palmeiras Resort

Pinarello

Plowman Craven

Rapha-Condor-Recycling

Rock Racing

South Australia.com

Topsport Vlaanderen

STAGES

September 7, Stage 1: London

September 8, Stage 2: Milton Keynes ? Newbury

September 9, Stage 3: Chard ? Burnham-on-Sea

September 10, Stage 4: Worcester ? Stoke-on-Trent

September 11, Stage 5: Hull ? Dalby Forest

September 12, Stage 6: Darlington ? Newcastle

September 13, Stage 7: Glasgow Green ? Dumfries & Galloway

September 14, Stage 8: Blackpool - Liverpool

See The Wednesday Comment later this week for reaction to LPR Brakes' inclusion in the Tour of Britain

RELATED LINKS

Martin, Millar and Backstedt in Garmin ToB team

Rock Racing to Tour of Britain