TERMINILLO, Italy, May 16, 2010 (AFP) – Italian sprint specialist Alessandro Petacchi pulled out of the Tour of Italy 40km into stage eight, the race’s first real day in the mountains which finishes on the summit of Terminillo.

Petacchi has been suffering from a cough and had a sleepless night, his Lampre team said.

The 36-year-old Petacchi has won 26 stages in the race known as the Giro, although five of those victories from 2007 were annulled due to a positive doping control.

The eighth stage is held over 189 km and should mix up the overall standings, especially as snow fell overnight on the 1668-metre high summit of Terminillo where the midday temperature gauge sat at a cool 4.5 degrees Celsius.