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Dutchman Dekker takes Italian race

Dekker becomes the third Dutch rider to win the Italian race

ROME, Italy (Reuters) -- Twenty-one-year-old Thomas Dekker became the third Dutchman to win the Tirreno-Adriatico race on Tuesday.

Dekker retained his 14-second lead over Germany's Jorg Jaksche on the final flat stage from Campli to San Benedetto del Tronto to join Joop Zoetemelk in 1985 and Erik Dekker in 2002 as Dutch winners.

Italy's Alessandro Ballan was third overall after Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi won the 166-km stage ahead of Robbie McEwen of Australia and Italy's Paride Grillo.

Giuseppe Saronni of Italy is the youngest winner of Tirreno-Adriatico, claiming it in 1978 aged 20.

Dekker won by riding consistently well in all seven stages of the race and took the lead after finishing third in the key 20-km time trial on Sunday.

"During the winter I chose Tirreno-Adriatico as my first objective of the season and so I'm very happy I've won. I'm going to celebrate with some champagne," Dekker said.

"It's never easy to win a big race and I was nervous even during the last stage. I was scared of crashing on the final circuits because it was very fast and dangerous.

"Riders were fighting for positions and so I got on Juan Antonio Flecha's wheel for some protection."

Thanks to 50 points for overall victory and a point for his third place in the time trial, Dekker is now second in the UCI ProTour standings. Paris-Nice winner Floyd Landis of the U.S. leads the season-long competition with 52 points.

Dekker will take part in Saturday's Milan-San Remo race and said he would work for his Rabobank team leader and 2004 San Remo winner Oscar Freire of Spain.

Bettini better

Italy's Paolo Bettini will take part in Saturday's Milan-San Remo race after recovering from the injuries that forced him to retire from the Tirreno-Adriatico.

"I'm feeling better day after day," said Bettini, who injured his right knee and back in a high-speed crash during Friday's third stage.

"I'm going to start the race on Saturday and then worry about getting to San Remo," he added on Tuesday.

He initially seemed unlikely to recover for Milan-San Remo but massage and light training has eased the pain and he is determined to be at the start of the 294-km race.

On Sunday, Bettini rode for half-an-hour but was in so much pain he had to call his wife and ask her to pick him up.

He is still battered and bruised but managed to ride for three hours near his home in Tuscany on Tuesday.

"My back and my knee still hurts when I stand on the pedals but I'm optimistic things will improve," he said.

"Unfortunately, Milan-San Remo is the longest race of the season. I just hope my back and knee don't hold me back during the final part of the race."

Bettini will share the leadership of the Quick Step team at Milan-San Remo with world champion Tom Boonen of Belgium.

The 31-year-old Tuscan won the prestigious Italian race in 2003.

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