Paolo Bettini caps off long, illustrious career with a win at the Milan Six Day

November 10th, 2008 by Ron Callahan View Comments

And on the seventh day, he rested.

No one would have been shocked if Paolo Bettini would have decided to call it quits after his horrible crash on the first day of the Milan Six. As we now know, he cracked his helmet in half, lost consciousness and spent the night in the hospital.

His adoring Italian fans would have been content for him to step onto the track, say and few words and walk away. Instead, he came back and rode, won that second day and continued on to win the entire race with partner Juan Llaneras.

I can’t help but think that this is a little scripted, but if the fans are happy and everyone liked the outcome, it’s not really an issue.

Bettini will be back as a commentator for Italian television next year. I’m sure that he will be providing his insight during next year’s Giro, but for now he can sit back and relax for a while. (Gazzetta dello Sport/Cycling News)

Tags: Juan Llaneras, Paolo Bettini, track racing