2008 Giro d'Italia

Teams

Main article: List of teams and cyclists in the 2008 Giro d'Italia

Twenty-two teams participated in the 2008 Giro. These included 16 UCI ProTour teams, and six UCI Professional Continental teams. Of the 18 ProTour teams, the two left out were and . Two other ProTour teams, and , were left off the first list of teams announced by RCS Sport, the organizers of the Giro. This list also included a further Professional Continental team, , which was later excluded. Astana and Team High Road were both later added, with Astana's invitation coming just six days before the event began.

The 22 teams who took part in the race were:{{cite web |access-date=2009-11-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106113512/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=startlist |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live

Race previews and favorites

The 2008 Giro featured an assortment of contenders for the overall victory. Defending champion Danilo Di Luca had faced potential bans which would have kept him out of the race, after investigations into his involvement with the Oil for Drugs scandal and an irregular doping test given after stage 17 of the 2007 Giro d'Italia, either of which could have resulted in a two-year suspension. |access-date=2009-11-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025192813/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/2008-04-01-4044563273_x.htm |archive-date=25 October 2012 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-07| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829181936/http://velonews.competitor.com/2008/05/news/road/cas-upholds-di-luca-suspension_75642 | archive-date=29 August 2012| url-status= live |access-date=2009-11-07| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103164635/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=3349348&type=story | archive-date=3 November 2012| url-status= live

The late invitation of to the race provided three potential contenders: 2007 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador, third-place finisher from that race Levi Leipheimer, and Andreas Klöden. One analysis of pre-race favorites considered Klöden to be the strongest of them, |access-date=2009-11-07 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091125175122/http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/347119/giro-d-italia-2008-who-will-win.html| archive-date= 25 November 2009 | url-status= live}} while another considered Contador to be the race's biggest favorite after his wins at the recently run Vuelta al País Vasco and Vuelta a Castilla y León. |access-date=2014-08-17| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110927161222/http://www.roadcycling.com/articles/2008_Giro_Preview_002150.shtml| archive-date=27 September 2011 |access-date=2009-11-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106041423/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=favourites |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-07| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715012013/http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/giro-ditalia-2008-preview-96318 | archive-date=15 July 2014| url-status= live

Six stages were classified as flat and likely to be contested by sprinters. Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi, who had notably won nine stages in the 2004 race, did not plan to enter this Giro because of bouts with influenza and bronchitis which hindered his training. |access-date=2009-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113205442/http://velonews.competitor.com/2008/05/news/road/cas-suspends-petacchi_75891 |archive-date=13 January 2016 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-23| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120910205418/http://velonews.competitor.com/2008/05/news/road/milram-sacks-petacchi_76355| archive-date=10 September 2012| url-status= live |access-date=2009-11-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906231741/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/aug08/aug29news2 |archive-date=6 September 2015 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-07| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140715012159/http://velonews.competitor.com/2008/05/news/road/ariel-richeze-is-withdrawn-from-2008-giro-ditalia-start-list_75984 | archive-date=15 July 2014| url-status= live

Route and stages

The race began for the second year in succession with a team time trial on one of Italy's islands, in this case Sicily (in 2007 it had been Sardinia). The route contained only four stages that were officially deemed mountain stages, but several of the seven intermediate stages contained selective climbs. The Giro had four time trials, three of which were individual and one a team event. Six stages were classified as flat. |access-date=2009-11-23| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130314002755/http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/Giroditalia/2008/tappe/tappe_en.shtml | archive-date=14 March 2013| url-status= live

The sixth stage was originally scheduled to be 265 km in length, but it was shortened the day before it was to be run. This decision was made because many riders in the race had become upset over the lengths of transfers from the end of one stage to the beginning of the next and that this afforded them little rest to prepare for such long stages. The 34 km Circuito del Gargano was eliminated.

Of the four official mountain stages, three ended with climbs: stage 14 to Alpe di Pampeago,{{cite web |access-date=2009-11-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106102920/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=stages%2Fgiro0814 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106085606/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=stages/giro0815 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508082157/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008//giro08/?id=stages%2Fgiro0819 |archive-date=8 May 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508140536/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008//giro08/?id=stages/giro0820 |archive-date=8 May 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106101702/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=stages%2Fgiro0816 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-23 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091213102936/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=presentation| archive-date= 13 December 2009 | url-status= live}}

Race overview

Main article: 2008 Giro d'Italia, Stage 1 to Stage 11, 2008 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 to Stage 21

The Giro started with a team time trial in Sicily. There was pre-race speculation that this stage would result in an American rider wearing the pink jersey for the first time in twenty years, as , , and were among the biggest favorites to win and all had strong American time trialists on their squads.{{cite web |access-date=2009-11-08| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140715012644/http://velonews.competitor.com/2008/05/mtb/91st-giro-ditalia-another-american-in-pink_75948| archive-date=15 July 2014| url-status= live |access-date=2009-11-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106115353/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results/giro081 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140505022428/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008//giro08/?id=results%2Fgiro082 |archive-date=5 May 2014 |url-status=live

The sixth stage was shortened from its original length of 265 km to 231.6 km. This was still the race's second-longest stage, and it featured a breakaway which shook up the race standings. Eleven riders finished nearly twelve minutes in front of the peloton, and reigning Italian national road race champion Giovanni Visconti assumed the race lead, by a margin of less than one second over fellow breakaway member Matthias Russ. Russ had begun the stage 13 seconds ahead of Visconti in the overall classification, but with Visconti gaining seven seconds on Russ at the finish line and six in bonification on the stage's intermediate sprint, the young Italian became the next to wear the pink jersey.{{cite web |access-date=2009-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106081322/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results/giro086 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106115329/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results%2Fgiro0814 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106112130/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results/giro0815 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live

Contador faced repeated challenges from Riccardo Riccò and Danilo Di Luca in the race's final week. They were separated by less than a minute after stage 15, and though Di Luca would falter slightly in the Giro's second individual time trial,{{cite web |access-date=2009-11-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106122115/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results%2Fgiro0816 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106123739/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results/giro0819 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106115340/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results%2Fgiro0820 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091213161517/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results%2Fgiro0821 |archive-date=13 December 2009 |url-status=live

Emanuele Sella of won three stages in the race's final week{{cite web |access-date=2009-11-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122062137/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results/giro0814 |archive-date=22 January 2015 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106115340/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results%2Fgiro0820 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130620095433/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/photos/2008/giro08/index.php?id=%2Fphotos%2F2008%2Fgiro08%2Fgiro083%2Fbettiniphoto_0026960_1_full |archive-date=20 June 2013 |url-status=live

Five teams repeated as stage winners. Four individual riders won multiple stages. In addition to Sella's three victories in the final week, the riders who won more than once were Riccardo Riccò in stages 2 and 8,{{cite web |access-date=2009-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140609035839/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results/giro088 |archive-date=9 June 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106081333/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results%2Fgiro083 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106081705/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results%2Fgiro089 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103074724/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results/giro0812 |archive-date=3 November 2013 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106102917/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results%2Fgiro084 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106123639/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results/giro0813 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508083305/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008//giro08/?id=results%2Fgiro085 |archive-date=8 May 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106123739/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results/giro0819 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live

, , , , and all won one stage apiece. won the opening team time trial, rider Marzio Bruseghin won the Giro's first individual time trial,{{cite web |access-date=2009-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106112250/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results%2Fgiro0810 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129164022/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results/giro087 |archive-date=29 November 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106113823/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=results%2Fgiro0811 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508135000/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008//giro08/?id=results%2Fgiro0818 |archive-date=8 May 2014 |url-status=live

Success was achieved by only a handful of teams, meaning that other teams did not achieve much in the race. Though they nearly took the race lead with Matthias Russ in stage 6, had just two riders finish the race, and were never otherwise close to a notable result. had only four riders finish the race. Two other ProTour teams, and , similarly failed to be at all competitive in the Giro. None of them would return to the Giro in 2009; Gerolsteiner folded in 2008 after being unable to locate a new sponsor while , , and all made it known that they did not wish to participate and were thus declined invitations. |access-date=2009-08-28| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140715013509/http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/barloworld-left-off-first-giro-ditalia-team-list-70964 | archive-date=15 July 2014| url-status= live

Doping

Several notable riders in the Giro were announced to have tested positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs after the race concluded. Prominent amongst them was rider Emanuele Sella, a triple stage winner, winner of the mountains classification, and a key rider to 's victory in the teams classification. It was announced on 5 August that Sella had tested positive for Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta, better known as Mircera, a third-generation form of the banned blood booster erythropoietin. At the time the Giro was run, the test for Mircera was still in development. An out-of-competition control was taken on 23 July, just days after positives from the 2008 Tour de France had come to light, and samples were sent to labs in Paris for analysis. UCI President Pat McQuaid said that Sella had been targeted in the control and that "[i]t wasn't rocket science" to conclude that Sella's performances in the Giro could have been artificially enhanced.{{cite web |access-date=2009-11-22| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140715013613/http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/mcquaid-reveals-how-the-uci-caught-sella-93794| archive-date=15 July 2014| url-status= live

Sella confessed his doping to the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI){{cite web |access-date=2009-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306230153/http://velonews.competitor.com/2008/08/news/road/sella-tells-coni-he-used-epo_81475 |archive-date=6 March 2016 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-22| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120309101954/http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/emmanuele-sella-admits-doping-at-coni-hearing-17957/| archive-date=9 March 2012| url-status= live |access-date=2009-11-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907063023/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2009/feb09/feb28news |archive-date=7 September 2015 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-22| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121025203831/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/2009-11-12-3858155819_x.htm | archive-date=25 October 2012| url-status= live |access-date=2009-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303182336/http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/2208/CAS-gives-Priamo-a-four-year-ban.aspx |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=live

Riccardo Riccò, a double stage winner and the best young rider, tested positive for Mircera during the Tour de France, and was subsequently expelled with his team .{{cite news |access-date=2009-11-22| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103181143/http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/tdf2008/news/story?id=3492925 | archive-date=3 November 2012| url-status= live |access-date=2009-11-22 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091022032724/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-wants-2008-giro-samples-re-tested-for-cera| archive-date= 22 October 2009 | url-status= live}} Sella has similarly confessed to taking the drug while not confessing to have used it during the Giro.

After repeated positives over the summer, including tests from Leonardo Piepoli and Bernhard Kohl at the Tour de France,{{cite web |access-date=2009-11-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002150514/http://velonews.competitor.com/2008/10/news/road/kohl-positive-for-cera_84274 |archive-date=2 October 2015 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-11-22| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140715013945/http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/rebellin-stripped-of-olympic-silver-after-epo-positive-65136| archive-date=15 July 2014| url-status= live }} the UCI has sought to have samples taken during the Giro retested. In October 2009, it was announced that six to seven riders from this Giro had presumptive positives, while further untestable doping involving ozone was also suspected. In total, 82 samples were retested, and the presumptive positives have been compared to values stored at an anti-doping lab in Lausanne, Switzerland. The identities of those riders who tested positive have not yet been revealed. It is believed that Rebellin and Sella are among the riders to have presumptive positives.

Classification leadership

In the 2008 Giro d'Italia, four different jerseys were awarded. For the general classification, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage, and allowing time bonuses for the first three finishers on mass start stages, the leader received a pink jersey. This classification is considered the most important of the Giro d'Italia, and the winner is considered the winner of the Giro.{{cite web |access-date=2009-08-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508234448/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=%2Ffeatures%2F2008%2Fgiro_classifications08 |archive-date=8 May 2013 |url-status=live

Additionally, there was a points classification, which awarded a mauve jersey. In the points classification, cyclists got points for finishing in the top 15 in a stage. The stage win awarded 25 points, second place awarded 20 points, third 16, fourth 14, fifth 12, sixth 10, and one point less per place down the line, to a single point for 15th. In addition, some points could be won in intermediate sprints.

There was also a mountains classification, which awarded a green jersey. In the mountains classifications, points were won by reaching the top of a mountain before other cyclists. Each climb was categorized, either first, second, or third category, with more points available for the higher-categorized climbs. The highest point in the Giro (called the Cima Coppi), which in 2008 was the Passo di Gavia in Stage 20, afforded still more points than the other first-category climbs.

The fourth was the young rider classification which awarded a white jersey. This was decided the same way as the general classification, but only riders born after 1 January 1983 were eligible.

There were also two classifications for teams. The first is the Trofeo Fast Team. In this classification, the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage are added, and the team with the lowest time is leading team. The Trofeo Super Team is a team points classification, with the top 20 placed riders on each stage earning points (20 for first place, 19 for second place and so on, down to a single point for 20th) for their team.

The rows in the following table correspond to the jerseys awarded after that stage was run.

Final standings

General classification

Mountains classification

Points classification

Young rider classification

Trofeo Fast Team classification

Trofeo Super Team classification

Minor classifications

Other less well-known classifications were awarded during the Giro, whose leaders did not receive a special jersey. These awards were based on points earned throughout the three weeks of the tour. Each mass start stage had one intermediate sprint, awarding points to the Expo Milano 2015 classification. These sprints gave bonus seconds towards the general classification, points towards the regular points classification, and also points towards the Expo Milano 2015 classification. This award was known in previous years as the Intergiro, and was previously time-based, awarding a blue jersey. rider Fortunato Baliani won this classification.

Additional minor classifications included the combativity classification, which was a compilation of points gained for position on crossing intermediate sprints, mountain passes and stage finishes. Mountains classification winner Emanuele Sella took this award. The Azzurri d'Italia classification was based on finishing order, but points were only awarded to the top three finishers in each stage. Like the overall points classification, it was ' Daniele Bennati who won this. Also, the Trofeo Fuga Cervelo rewarded riders who took part in a breakaway at the head of the field, each rider in an escape of ten or fewer riders getting one point for each kilometre that the group stays clear. Along with the Expo Milano 2015, Fortunato Baliani also finished first in this classification. Additionally, teams were on occasion given penalty points for technical infringements. avoided any penalties, and so was the winner of the Fair Play classification.

References

Citations

References

1. Stephen Farrand. (2008-02-01). "ASTANA AND HIGH ROAD NOT INVITED TO 2008 GIRO D'ITALIA". Cycling Weekly.
2. Stephen Farrand. (2008-05-04). "GIRO CONFIRMS ASTANA INVITE, NGC LEFT OUT". Cycling Weekly.
3. AFP Direct. (2008-05-04). "Astana Will Race The Giro". Cycling Weekly.
4. Team High Road. (2008-02-16). "Team High Road Get Invite". British Cycling.
5. Sue George. (2008-05-15). "Giro stage six shortened". Future Publishing Limited.
6. (2008-08-28). "Team Gerolsteiner to dissolve at year-end". Cycling News.