2008 Giro d'Italia
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Giro d'Italia was the 91st running of the Giro d'Italia
, one of cycling's Grand Tours
. It began in Palermo
on 10 May and ended in Milan
on 1 June. Twenty-two teams entered the race, which was won by Spaniard Alberto Contador
of the cycling team. Second and third respectively were Italians Riccardo Riccò
and Marzio Bruseghin
.
Contador first took the race lead after the second mountain stage, to Marmolada
, by finishing nearly fifteen minutes ahead of previous race leader Gabriele Bosisio
. The race's overall classification had been headed for several days beforehand by Giovanni Visconti
, who participated in a breakaway in the sixth stage which won him sufficient time to hold the race leader's pink jersey for more than a week. In the race's final week, Contador faced stern challenges from Riccò and defending Giro champion Danilo Di Luca
. Though Contador did not win any stage, his performances were consistently strong enough to remain ahead through to the conclusion of the race.
Team appeared to perform quite well in the race, coming away with four stage wins and victory in the mountains classification and the Trofeo Fast Team. In August 2008, mountains classification winner Emanuele Sella
was announced to have tested positive for methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta
(better known as Mircera, an erythropoietin
derivative) at an out-of-competition control held by the Union Cycliste Internationale
(UCI). He subsequently admitted his doping, and named teammate Matteo Priamo
as his supplier. Both riders were subsequently suspended. Though as of April 2010 no definitive positive results have come to light from samples taken during the Giro, retesting of those samples has reportedly revealed six to seven presumptive positives for Mircera. Riccò, who tested positive for the drug at the 2008 Tour de France
, is among those suspected of having given positive tests in the Giro, as is Sella.
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:
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. Though he was suspended for three months because of Oil for Drugs, he was cleared by the Italian National Olympic Committee of any wrongdoing in the 2007 Giro, and was thus permitted to start.
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, 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. Both Di Luca and Contador had strong domestiques
(support riders) by their sides, with Di Luca joined by two-time Giro d'Italia champion Paolo Savoldelli
, Gabriele Bosisio
, and Alessandro Spezialetti
, and Contador by Leipheimer and Klöden. Other riders named as overall contenders included Denis Menchov
, Gilberto Simoni
, Vincenzo Nibali
, Riccardo Riccò
, Mauricio Soler
, Marzio Bruseghin
, Emanuele Sella
, Evgeni Petrov, Franco Pellizotti
, and Juan Manuel Gárate
. Unibet.com's odds-on favorite was Klöden. 2004 Giro d'Italia
winner Damiano Cunego
chose to skip the race to better prepare for the Tour de France
, adding to speculation that this would be the first Giro since 1996 to feature a non-Italian winner.
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. He was later suspended from the sport, and his contract with Team Milram terminated, as a result of his controversial doping case from the 2007 Giro. Sprinters identified as being favorites in the bunch finishes that the Giro would offer included Alexandre Usov
, Dimitry Muravyev, Enrico Gasparotto
, Maximiliano Richeze
, Robert Förster
, Mark Cavendish
, André Greipel
, Daniele Bennati
, Paolo Bettini
, Graeme Brown
, Robbie McEwen
, Julian Dean
, Erik Zabel
, and Alberto Loddo
. Richeze was withdrawn by his team the day before the race began after a positive doping test, though he would later be cleared of any wrongdoing. His name remained on the start list, and he was not replaced, meaning entered the race with only eight riders instead of the customary nine.
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.
The sixth stage was originally scheduled to be 265 km (165 mi) 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 (21 mi) Circuito del Gargano was eliminated.
Of the four official mountain stages, three ended with climbs: stage 14 to Alpe di Pampeago, stage 15 to Passo Fedaia, and stage 19 to Presolana
. Stage 20 earned its mountain designation by way of the Passo di Gavia and the Passo del Mortirolo
, respectively the highest point reached and the steepest climb of this year's Giro. Two other stages had summit arrivals, stage 7 to Pescocostanzo
and the demanding stage 16 climbing time trial to Plan de Corones, the summit of which the Giro had never before visited. It was hoped that the number of time trials, including one on the race's last day, would keep the race hotly contested to the end.
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. The victory went to , which put their team leader, American Christian Vande Velde, in the first pink jersey. With a hilly stage ahead on day two of the Giro, Vande Velde's race lead was far from secure. He lost it to Franco Pellizotti
, who finished sufficiently ahead of Vande Velde on the stage to take a lead of a single second in the overall classification. Pellizotti retained the race lead for the next three days, as those stages were flat and were contested by sprinters
, with the overall favorites finishing together with the peloton in each.
The sixth stage was shortened from its original length of 265 km (164.7 mi) to 231.6 km (143.9 mi). 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. Visconti and his team ably defended the jersey for nine days, keeping it through the hilly seventh and eighth stages, as well as in the individual time trial
in stage 11 and in three flat stages. Visconti eventually lost the lead on stage 14, the Giro's first stage categorized as high mountain, as he finished more than eighteen minutes behind stage winner Emanuele Sella
. The race lead passed to Gabriele Bosisio
after that stage, but he was unable to hold it the next day, finishing fifteen minutes behind Sella, again the stage winner. It was on this stage that Alberto Contador
took the lead that he would never relinquish.
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, the time gap among the three of them was just 21 seconds heading in to the Giro's final mountain stage. Di Luca faltered further in that last mountain stage, losing almost five minutes and any chance to repeat as Giro champion, but Contador and Riccò finished together and were separated by only four seconds going into the Giro's final stage, another individual time trial. Contador's superior time trial skills provided the difference in the Giro's finale. Though he finished 11th on the stage, he gained more than two minutes over Riccò, winning the Giro overall without taking any individual stage.
Emanuele Sella
of won three stages in the race's final week and took a convincing victory in the mountains classification
, leading it for the entire race. His subsequent positive tests and confessions to the use of performance-enhancing drugs outside the Giro cast serious doubt on the legitimacy of these results, however. Daniele Bennati
was nearly as dominant in winning the points classification, taking three stage wins and six other top-ten finishes. He led the classification after every stage except the second and eighth, which were both won by Riccò, who thereby gained the mauve jersey for one day on two separate occasions. Though Riccò was never able to take the overall race lead, he was the winner of the youth classification
, taking the white jersey from Visconti when he lost the overall lead and holding it through the conclusion of the race. That jersey had also previously passed over the shoulders of Chris Anker Sørensen
and Morris Possoni
.
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, Daniele Bennati
in stages 3, 9, and 12, and Mark Cavendish
in stages 4 and 13. also won multiple stages, with Pavel Brutt
in stage 5 and Vasil Kiryienka
in stage 19, after both figured into early morning breakaway groups.
, , , , and all won one stage apiece. won the opening team time trial
, rider Marzio Bruseghin
won the Giro's first individual time trial
, rider Gabriele Bosisio
won stage 7 from a morning escape, 's Alessandro Bertolini
took stage 11 from a breakaway, and veteran Jens Voigt
was the winner of stage 18.
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.
, 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.
Sella confessed his doping to the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) and named teammate Matteo Priamo
, also a stage winner in this Giro, as his supplier. Though Priamo never tested positive for anything, and though the Italian National Anti-Doping tribunal originally exonerated him, the Court of Arbitration for Sport
ruled, upon appeal by CONI, that he should be suspended for four years.
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 . This control was taken just days before the one at which Sella gave his positive. Since it took place during the Tour de France, Riccò's results from that race have been removed, but the results for Sella, Priamo, and Riccò all still stand as no positive tests from controls taken during the Giro have come to light. Riccò claims to have only taken the drug before the Tour, but there has been speculation that his performances in the Giro were not legitimate. 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, and Davide Rebellin
and Stefan Schumacher
from the 2008 Olympic Games, 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.
, 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.
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.
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 for 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.
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
, one of cycling's Grand Tours
Grand Tour (cycling)
In road bicycle racing, a Grand Tour refers to one of the three major European professional cycling stage races:* Tour de France – Tour of France , held in July* Giro d'Italia – Tour of Italy , held in May...
. It began in Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
on 10 May and ended in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
on 1 June. Twenty-two teams entered the race, which was won by Spaniard Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador Velasco is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He was the winner of the 2007 Tour de France with the team. With the Astana team he has won the 2008 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a España, the 2009 Tour de France, the 2010 Tour de France and won 2011 Giro...
of the cycling team. Second and third respectively were Italians Riccardo Riccò
Riccardo Riccò
Riccardo Riccò is a professional road bicycle racer from Italy, currently under contract to UCI Continental team Meridiana-Kamen, and suspended from competition. He was ejected from the 2008 Tour de France for doping violations and suspended...
and Marzio Bruseghin
Marzio Bruseghin
Marzio Bruseghin is an Italian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . His best achievement is winning the 2006 Italian time-trial championship, as well as winning two time trial stages in the Giro d'Italia...
.
Contador first took the race lead after the second mountain stage, to Marmolada
Marmolada
Marmolada is a mountain in northeastern Italy and the highest mountain of the Dolomites ....
, by finishing nearly fifteen minutes ahead of previous race leader Gabriele Bosisio
Gabriele Bosisio
Gabriele Bosisio is an Italian professional road bicycle racer. Bosision rode for Tenax between 2003 and 2005 and for UCI Professional Continental team between 2008 and 2009....
. The race's overall classification had been headed for several days beforehand by Giovanni Visconti
Giovanni Visconti (cyclist)
Giovanni Visconti is an Italian professional road racing cyclist for UCI Professional Continental team . Visconti won the Italian National Championship road race on 1 July 2007, beating Paolo Bossoni and Davide Rebellin at the end in a sprint. At 12 km to go, Rebellin made his move...
, who participated in a breakaway in the sixth stage which won him sufficient time to hold the race leader's pink jersey for more than a week. In the race's final week, Contador faced stern challenges from Riccò and defending Giro champion Danilo Di Luca
Danilo Di Luca
Danilo Di Luca is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rode for numerous UCI Professional Continental teams throughout his career including Liquigas-Bianchi and . He holds victories in the Giro di Lombardia in 2001, the 2005 UCI ProTour and won both the Giro d'Italia and the spring...
. Though Contador did not win any stage, his performances were consistently strong enough to remain ahead through to the conclusion of the race.
Team appeared to perform quite well in the race, coming away with four stage wins and victory in the mountains classification and the Trofeo Fast Team. In August 2008, mountains classification winner Emanuele Sella
Emanuele Sella
Emanuele Sella is an Italian road racing cyclist who currently rides with the Italian team .In out of competition control testing, performed July 23, 2008, Sella was found to test positive for CERA, the third generation EPO according to La Gazzetta dello Sport...
was announced to have tested positive for methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta
Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta
Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta is the active ingredient of a drug marketed by Hoffmann-La Roche under the brand name Mircera. Mircera is a long-acting erythropoietin receptor activator indicated for the treatment of patients with anaemia associated with chronic kidney disease. It is the...
(better known as Mircera, an erythropoietin
Erythropoietin
Erythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...
derivative) at an out-of-competition control held by the Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
(UCI). He subsequently admitted his doping, and named teammate Matteo Priamo
Matteo Priamo
Matteo Priamo is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, previously of UCI Professional Continental team ....
as his supplier. Both riders were subsequently suspended. Though as of April 2010 no definitive positive results have come to light from samples taken during the Giro, retesting of those samples has reportedly revealed six to seven presumptive positives for Mircera. Riccò, who tested positive for the drug at the 2008 Tour de France
2008 Tour de France
The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage...
, is among those suspected of having given positive tests in the Giro, as is Sella.
Teams
Twenty-two teams participated in the 2008 Giro. These included 16 UCI ProTourUCI ProTour
The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...
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:
Race previews and favorites
The 2008 Giro featured an assortment of contenders for the overall victory. Defending champion Danilo Di LucaDanilo Di Luca
Danilo Di Luca is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rode for numerous UCI Professional Continental teams throughout his career including Liquigas-Bianchi and . He holds victories in the Giro di Lombardia in 2001, the 2005 UCI ProTour and won both the Giro d'Italia and the spring...
had faced potential bans which would have kept him out of the race, after investigations into his involvement with the Oil for Drugs
Oil for Drugs
The Oil for Drugs case is an Italian doping case against doctor Carlo Santuccione and a number of accomplices, started in 2003. He is accused of administering prohibited doping products to professional and amateur athletes, to enhance their performance as well as being involved in doping network...
scandal and an irregular doping test given after stage 17 of the 2007 Giro d'Italia
2007 Giro d'Italia
The 2007 Giro d'Italia was the 90th running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place from 12 May to 3 June 2007. The race began in Sardinia and finished in Milan, and featured five mountain top finishes, of which one was an individual time trial...
, either of which could have resulted in a two-year suspension. Though he was suspended for three months because of Oil for Drugs, he was cleared by the Italian National Olympic Committee of any wrongdoing in the 2007 Giro, and was thus permitted to start.
The late invitation of to the race provided three potential contenders: 2007 Tour de France
2007 Tour de France
The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
winner Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador Velasco is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He was the winner of the 2007 Tour de France with the team. With the Astana team he has won the 2008 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a España, the 2009 Tour de France, the 2010 Tour de France and won 2011 Giro...
, third-place finisher from that race Levi Leipheimer
Levi Leipheimer
Levi Leipheimer is an American professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . His major results are winning the 2007–2009 editions of the Tour of California, the 2006 Dauphiné Libéré and the 2005 Deutschland Tour, coming in second in the 2008 Vuelta a España, third in the 2001 Vuelta a...
, and Andreas Klöden
Andreas Klöden
Andreas Klöden is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . His major achievements include a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympic Games and second place in the 2004 Tour de France and 2006 Tour de France...
. One analysis of pre-race favorites considered Klöden to be the strongest of them, while another considered Contador to be the race's biggest favorite after his wins at the recently-run Vuelta al País Vasco
2008 Vuelta al País Vasco
The 2008 Vuelta al País Vasco, the 65th edition of the Vuelta al País Vasco stage cycling race, took place from April 7 to April 12, 2008. It was won by Spanish rider Alberto Contador of .-General classification:...
and Vuelta a Castilla y León. Both Di Luca and Contador had strong domestiques
Cycling domestique
A domestique is a road bicycle racer who works for the benefit of his team and leader. The French domestique translates as "servant". In Italy and Spain, the term gregario is used, while in Belgium and the Netherlands the term knecht or helper are used...
(support riders) by their sides, with Di Luca joined by two-time Giro d'Italia champion Paolo Savoldelli
Paolo Savoldelli
Paolo Savoldelli is an Italian former road racing cyclist and winner of the 2002 and 2005 Giro d'Italia....
, Gabriele Bosisio
Gabriele Bosisio
Gabriele Bosisio is an Italian professional road bicycle racer. Bosision rode for Tenax between 2003 and 2005 and for UCI Professional Continental team between 2008 and 2009....
, and Alessandro Spezialetti
Alessandro Spezialetti
Alessandro Spezialetti is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, currently riding for . He is known as a lieutenant, or top domestique in Grand Tours.-External links:*...
, and Contador by Leipheimer and Klöden. Other riders named as overall contenders included Denis Menchov
Denis Menchov
Denis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
, Gilberto Simoni
Gilberto Simoni
Gilberto Simoni is an Italian ex-professional road bicycle racer, most recently for . Simoni is twice winner of the Giro d'Italia cycling race...
, Vincenzo Nibali
Vincenzo Nibali
Vincenzo Nibali is an Italian professional road bicycle racer who rides UCI ProTeam . Born near the Strait of Messina, Nibali's nickname is the "shark of the strait" or simply "the shark." His first major win came at the 2006 GP Ouest-France, where he beat an impressive field on a tough course...
, Riccardo Riccò
Riccardo Riccò
Riccardo Riccò is a professional road bicycle racer from Italy, currently under contract to UCI Continental team Meridiana-Kamen, and suspended from competition. He was ejected from the 2008 Tour de France for doping violations and suspended...
, Mauricio Soler
Mauricio Soler
Juan Mauricio Soler Hernández is a Colombian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . He competed in the Tour de France for the first time in 2007, winning stage 9 having broken away on the Col du Galibier. He won that year's King of the Mountains title. Soler stated the stage win...
, Marzio Bruseghin
Marzio Bruseghin
Marzio Bruseghin is an Italian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . His best achievement is winning the 2006 Italian time-trial championship, as well as winning two time trial stages in the Giro d'Italia...
, Emanuele Sella
Emanuele Sella
Emanuele Sella is an Italian road racing cyclist who currently rides with the Italian team .In out of competition control testing, performed July 23, 2008, Sella was found to test positive for CERA, the third generation EPO according to La Gazzetta dello Sport...
, Evgeni Petrov, Franco Pellizotti
Franco Pellizotti
Franco Pellizotti is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, currently suspended from the sport....
, and Juan Manuel Gárate
Juan Manuel Gárate
Juan Manuel Gárate Cepa is a Spanish professional road racing cyclist. He currently rides for the Rabobank team. He is perceived to be a climbing specialist, and to date his greatest achievements have been in the Giro d'Italia, where he placed fourth overall in 2002, fifth overall in 2005 and won...
. Unibet.com's odds-on favorite was Klöden. 2004 Giro d'Italia
2004 Giro d'Italia
The 2004 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 87th running of the race, was held from 8 May to 30 May 2004, consisting of 21 stages for a total of 3,420 km, ridden at an average speed of 38.565 km/h. It was won by Damiano Cunego...
winner Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rides for the Italian UCI ProTeam . His biggest wins are the 2004 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Amstel Gold Race, and the Giro di Lombardia in 2004, 2007, 2008. He finished second in the UCI Road World Championships in 2008 and in the...
chose to skip the race to better prepare for the Tour de France
2008 Tour de France
The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage...
, adding to speculation that this would be the first Giro since 1996 to feature a non-Italian winner.
Six stages were classified as flat and likely to be contested by sprinters
Cycling sprinter
A cycling sprinter is a road bicycle racer or track racer who can finish a race very explosively by accelerating quickly to a high speed, often using the slipstream of another cyclist or group of cyclists tactically to conserve energy.-The road sprinter:...
. Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi
Alessandro Petacchi
Alessandro Petacchi is an Italian professional road racing cyclist for .A specialist sprinter, Petacchi has won 51 grand tour stages with wins of the points jersey in the Giro d'Italia in 2004, the Vuelta a España in 2005 and the Tour de France in 2010.In 2007 Alessandro was banned from cycling...
, who had notably won nine stages in the 2004 race, did not plan to enter this Giro because of bouts with influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
and bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
which hindered his training. He was later suspended from the sport, and his contract with Team Milram terminated, as a result of his controversial doping case from the 2007 Giro. Sprinters identified as being favorites in the bunch finishes that the Giro would offer included Alexandre Usov
Alexandre Usov
Alexandre Usov is a Belarusian racing cyclist. His specialty is sprinting.- Palmarès :20002001Alexandre Usov is a Belarusian racing cyclist. His specialty is sprinting.- Palmarès :2000...
, Dimitry Muravyev, Enrico Gasparotto
Enrico Gasparotto
Enrico Gasparotto is an Italian professional road racing cyclist for UCI ProTour team , which he joined in 2009...
, Maximiliano Richeze
Maximiliano Richeze
Ariel Maximiliano Richeze is an Argentine professional cyclist who rides for the D'Angelo & Antenucci-Nippo team....
, Robert Förster
Robert Förster
Robert Förster is a German professional road racing cyclist, specialising in bunch sprints, currently riding for .He turned professional in 2001, initially riding for Team Nürnberger...
, Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish MBE is a Manx professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam until the end of this season when the team is dissolved. He will join Team Sky at the start of the 2012 season...
, André Greipel
Andre Greipel
André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany...
, Daniele Bennati
Daniele Bennati
Daniele Bennati is an Italian road racing cyclist specializing in fast sprint finishes. He currently rides for UCI ProTeam . He turned professional in 2002, when he joined the team and wore zebra stripes as part of Mario Cipollini’s leadout train...
, Paolo Bettini
Paolo Bettini
Paolo Bettini is an Italian former champion road racing cyclist, and the coach of the Italian national cycling team. Considered the best classics specialist of his generation, and probably one of the strongest of all times, he won gold medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics road race and in the 2006...
, Graeme Brown
Graeme Brown
Graeme Allen Brown OAM is a professional cyclist and dual Olympic gold medallist from Australia.-Cycling career - road and track:...
, Robbie McEwen
Robbie McEwen
Robbie McEwen is an Australian professional road bicycle racer, for on the UCI ProTour, specializing in sprint finishes...
, Julian Dean
Julian Dean
Julian Dean is a road racing cyclist who rides for . Dean rode in the 2008 Tour de France, 2007 Tour de France, 2006 Tour de France and the 2004 Tour de France, finishing all four times. In 2008, he finished 9th in the points classification...
, Erik Zabel
Erik Zabel
Erik Zabel is a former German professional road bicycle racer who last raced with Milram. With over 200 professional wins he is considered by some one of the greatest German cyclists and best cycling sprinters of history...
, and Alberto Loddo
Alberto Loddo
Alberto Loddo is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer.-Palmares:20022003Alberto Loddo is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer.-Palmares:2002...
. Richeze was withdrawn by his team the day before the race began after a positive doping test, though he would later be cleared of any wrongdoing. His name remained on the start list, and he was not replaced, meaning entered the race with only eight riders instead of the customary nine.
Route and stages
The race began for the second year in succession with a team time trialTeam time trial
A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart...
on one of Italy's islands, in this case Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
(in 2007 it had been Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
). 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
Individual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
and one a team
Team time trial
A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart...
event. Six stages were classified as flat.
The sixth stage was originally scheduled to be 265 km (165 mi) 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 (21 mi) Circuito del Gargano was eliminated.
Of the four official mountain stages, three ended with climbs: stage 14 to Alpe di Pampeago, stage 15 to Passo Fedaia, and stage 19 to Presolana
Presolana
Presolana is a mountain located in Lombardy, northern Italy, about 35 km north of Bergamo. Part of the Bergamo Alps, it is included in the province of Bergamo, and divides the Val Seriana and Valle di Scalve....
. Stage 20 earned its mountain designation by way of the Passo di Gavia and the Passo del Mortirolo
Passo del Mortirolo
The Mortirolo Pass is a high mountain pass in the Alps in Italy. Also known as Passo di Foppa, it connects Mazzo di Valtellina and Val Camonica...
, respectively the highest point reached and the steepest climb of this year's Giro. Two other stages had summit arrivals, stage 7 to Pescocostanzo
Pescocostanzo
Pescocostanzo is a comune and town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy-External links:* * *...
and the demanding stage 16 climbing time trial to Plan de Corones, the summit of which the Giro had never before visited. It was hoped that the number of time trials, including one on the race's last day, would keep the race hotly contested to the end.
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 May | Palermo Palermo Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old... |
23.6 km (14.7 mi) |  |
Team time trial Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
||
| 2 | 11 May | Cefalù Cefalù Cefalù is a city and comune in the province of Palermo, located on the northern coast of Sicily, Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea about 70 km east from the provincial capital and 185 km west of Messina... to Agrigento Agrigento Agrigento , is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy, and capital of the province of Agrigento. It is renowned as the site of the ancient Greek city of Akragas , one of the leading cities of Magna Graecia during the golden... |
207 km (129 mi) |  |
Intermediate stage | ||
| 3 | 12 May | Catania Catania Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and... to Milazzo Milazzo Milazzo is a town and comune in the province of Messina, Sicily, Italy.The city is situated between two bays, one of Milazzo and the east to the west of Patti, in a strategic place in the north-eastern Sicily.Located 43 km from the provincial capital, is part of the metropolitan area of the Strait... |
221 km (137 mi) |  |
Flat stage | ||
| 4 | 13 May | Pizzo Calabro Pizzo, Calabria Pizzo is a seaport and comune in the province of Vibo Valentia , situated on a steep cliff overlooking the Gulf of Santa Eufemia.Fishing is one of the main activities, including that of tuna and coral.-History:... to Catanzaro-Lungomare |
183 km (114 mi) | |
Flat stage | ||
| 5 | 14 May | Belvedere Marittimo Belvedere Marittimo Belvedere Marittimo is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.The town is made of two separate urbanized areas also called "paese" and "marina"... to Contursi Terme Contursi Terme Contursi Terme is a village and comune in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy.-Early history:No secure identification of Contursi Terme, where ancient remains confirm a settlement at the confluence of the Tanagro with the Sele, is likely... |
203 km (126 mi) | |
Intermediate stage | ||
| 6 | 15 May | Potenza Potenza -Transportation:Potenza is a rail junction on the main line from Salerno to Taranto, managed by FS Trenitalia; it has also a connection to Altamura, served by the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane regional company... to Peschici Peschici Peschici is a town and comune in the province of Foggia in the Apulia region of southeast Italy.Famous seaside resorts, its territory belongs to the Italian National Park of Gargano and to the Comunità Montana del Gargano.- Geography :... |
231.6 km (143.9 mi) | |
Intermediate stage | ||
| 7 | 16 May | Vasto Vasto Vasto is a town and comune on the Adriatic coast of the Province of Chieti in southern Abruzzo, Italy. The population is now just over 40,000.-History:According to tradition, the town was founded by Diomedes, the Greek hero... to Pescocostanzo Pescocostanzo Pescocostanzo is a comune and town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy-External links:* * *... |
180 km (112 mi) | |
Intermediate stage | ||
| 8 | 17 May | Rivisondoli Rivisondoli Rivisondoli is a village and comune in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It is a ski resort.-Geography:The village is placed in the plateau of Cinque Miglia and extended on the flank of Monte Calvario.-History:... to Tivoli Tivoli, Italy Tivoli , the classical Tibur, is an ancient Italian town in Lazio, about 30 km east-north-east of Rome, at the falls of the Aniene river where it issues from the Sabine hills... |
208 km (129 mi) | |
Intermediate stage | ||
| 9 | 18 May | Civitavecchia Civitavecchia Civitavecchia is a town and comune of the province of Rome in the central Italian region of Lazio. A sea port on the Tyrrhenian Sea, it is located 80 kilometers west-north-west of Rome, across the Mignone river. The harbor is formed by two piers and a breakwater, on which is a lighthouse... to San Vincenzo |
218 km (135 mi) | |
Flat stage | ||
| 19 May | Rest day | ||||||
| 10 | 20 May | Pesaro Pesaro Pesaro is a town and comune in the Italian region of the Marche, capital of the Pesaro e Urbino province, on the Adriatic. According to the 2007 census, its population was 92,206.... to Urbino Urbino Urbino is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino from 1444 to 1482... |
39.4 km (24.5 mi) | |
Individual time trial Individual time trial An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials... |
||
| 11 | 21 May | Urbania Urbania For the 2000 film, see Urbania Urbania is a comune in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino in the Italian region of Marche, located about 80 km west of Ancona and about 40 km southwest of Pesaro, next to the river Metauro.... to Cesena Cesena Cesena is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, south of Ravenna and west of Rimini, on the Savio River, co-chief of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. It is at the foot of the Apennines, and about 15 km from the Adriatic Sea.-History:Cesena was originally an Umbrian... |
199 km (124 mi) | |
Intermediate stage | ||
| 12 | 22 May | Forlì Forlì Forlì is a comune and city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the right of the Montone river, and is an important agricultural centre... to Carpi Carpi (Modena) Carpi is an Italian town and comune of about 67,000 people in the province of Modena, Emilia-Romagna.It is a busy centre for industrial and craft activities and for cultural and commercial exchanges.-History:... |
172 km (107 mi) | |
Flat stage | ||
| 13 | 23 May | Modena Modena Modena is a city and comune on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.... to Cittadella Cittadella Cittadella is a medieval walled city in the province of Padua, northern Italy, founded in the thirteenth century as a military outpost of Padua. The surrounding wall has been restored and is 1461 m in circumference with a diameter of around 450 m. There are four gates which roughly... |
177 km (110 mi) | |
Flat stage | ||
| 14 | 24 May | Verona Verona Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona... to Alpe di Pampeago |
195 km (121 mi) |  |
Mountain stage | ||
| 15 | 25 May | Arabba Livinallongo del Col di Lana Livinallongo del Col di Lana is a comune in the Province of Belluno in the Italian region Veneto, located about 120 km north of Venice and about 45 km northwest of Belluno.... to Passo Fedaia Marmolada Marmolada is a mountain in northeastern Italy and the highest mountain of the Dolomites .... |
153 km (95 mi) | |
Mountain stage | ||
| 16 | 26 May | San Vigilio di Marebbe Mareo Mareo is a comune in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 90 km northeast of Trento and about 50 km northeast of Bolzano .-Geography:... to Plan de Corones |
12.8 km (8 mi) | |
Individual time trial Individual time trial An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials... |
||
| 27 May | Rest day | ||||||
| 17 | 28 May | Sondrio Sondrio Sondrio is an Italian town and comune located in the heart of the Valtellina. Sondrio counts approximately 22,000 inhabitants and it is the administrative centre for the Lombard Province of Sondrio.- History :... to Locarno Locarno Locarno is the capital of the Locarno district, located on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore in the Swiss canton of Ticino, close to Ascona at the foot of the Alps. It has a population of about 15,000... (Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... ) |
146 km (91 mi) | |
Flat stage | ||
| 18 | 29 May | Mendrisio Mendrisio Mendrisio is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.Mendrisio is the seat of the Accademia di Architettura of the university of Italian speaking Switzerland .... (Switzerland) to Varese Varese Varese is a town and comune in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 55 km north of Milan.It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or urban part of the city is called Varesotto.- Geography :... |
147 km (91 mi) | |
Intermediate stage | ||
| 19 | 30 May | Legnano Legnano Legnano is an Italian town and comune with 59.147 inhabitants in the province of Milan, about from Milan.It's crossed by the river Olona, and it's the 13th town for inhabitants in Lombardy.... to Presolana Presolana Presolana is a mountain located in Lombardy, northern Italy, about 35 km north of Bergamo. Part of the Bergamo Alps, it is included in the province of Bergamo, and divides the Val Seriana and Valle di Scalve.... |
238 km (148 mi) | |
Mountain stage | ||
| 20 | 31 May | Rovetta Rovetta Rovetta is a comune in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about 80 km northeast of Milan and about 30 km northeast of Bergamo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 3,611 and an area of 24.0 km².The municipality of Rovetta contains the... to Tirano Tirano Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town.... |
224 km (139 mi) | |
Mountain stage | ||
| 21 | 1 June | Milan Milan Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,... |
28.5 km (17.7 mi) | |
Individual time trial Individual time trial An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials... |
||
| Total | 3407 km (2,117 mi) | ||||||
Race overview
The Giro started with a team time trialTeam time trial
A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart...
in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. 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. The victory went to , which put their team leader, American Christian Vande Velde, in the first pink jersey. With a hilly stage ahead on day two of the Giro, Vande Velde's race lead was far from secure. He lost it to Franco Pellizotti
Franco Pellizotti
Franco Pellizotti is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, currently suspended from the sport....
, who finished sufficiently ahead of Vande Velde on the stage to take a lead of a single second in the overall classification. Pellizotti retained the race lead for the next three days, as those stages were flat and were contested by sprinters
Cycling sprinter
A cycling sprinter is a road bicycle racer or track racer who can finish a race very explosively by accelerating quickly to a high speed, often using the slipstream of another cyclist or group of cyclists tactically to conserve energy.-The road sprinter:...
, with the overall favorites finishing together with the peloton in each.
The sixth stage was shortened from its original length of 265 km (164.7 mi) to 231.6 km (143.9 mi). 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
Giovanni Visconti (cyclist)
Giovanni Visconti is an Italian professional road racing cyclist for UCI Professional Continental team . Visconti won the Italian National Championship road race on 1 July 2007, beating Paolo Bossoni and Davide Rebellin at the end in a sprint. At 12 km to go, Rebellin made his move...
assumed the race lead, by a margin of less than one second over fellow breakaway member Matthias Russ
Matthias Russ
Matthias Russ is a German professional road bicycle racer, currently unattached following the collapse of .- Palmares :* Regio-Tour – 1 stage & Best Young Rider * 3rd, National U23 Road Race Championship...
. 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. Visconti and his team ably defended the jersey for nine days, keeping it through the hilly seventh and eighth stages, as well as in the individual time trial
Individual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
in stage 11 and in three flat stages. Visconti eventually lost the lead on stage 14, the Giro's first stage categorized as high mountain, as he finished more than eighteen minutes behind stage winner Emanuele Sella
Emanuele Sella
Emanuele Sella is an Italian road racing cyclist who currently rides with the Italian team .In out of competition control testing, performed July 23, 2008, Sella was found to test positive for CERA, the third generation EPO according to La Gazzetta dello Sport...
. The race lead passed to Gabriele Bosisio
Gabriele Bosisio
Gabriele Bosisio is an Italian professional road bicycle racer. Bosision rode for Tenax between 2003 and 2005 and for UCI Professional Continental team between 2008 and 2009....
after that stage, but he was unable to hold it the next day, finishing fifteen minutes behind Sella, again the stage winner. It was on this stage that Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador Velasco is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He was the winner of the 2007 Tour de France with the team. With the Astana team he has won the 2008 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a España, the 2009 Tour de France, the 2010 Tour de France and won 2011 Giro...
took the lead that he would never relinquish.
Riccardo Riccò
Riccardo Riccò is a professional road bicycle racer from Italy, currently under contract to UCI Continental team Meridiana-Kamen, and suspended from competition. He was ejected from the 2008 Tour de France for doping violations and suspended...
and Danilo Di Luca
Danilo Di Luca
Danilo Di Luca is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rode for numerous UCI Professional Continental teams throughout his career including Liquigas-Bianchi and . He holds victories in the Giro di Lombardia in 2001, the 2005 UCI ProTour and won both the Giro d'Italia and the spring...
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, the time gap among the three of them was just 21 seconds heading in to the Giro's final mountain stage. Di Luca faltered further in that last mountain stage, losing almost five minutes and any chance to repeat as Giro champion, but Contador and Riccò finished together and were separated by only four seconds going into the Giro's final stage, another individual time trial. Contador's superior time trial skills provided the difference in the Giro's finale. Though he finished 11th on the stage, he gained more than two minutes over Riccò, winning the Giro overall without taking any individual stage.
Emanuele Sella
Emanuele Sella
Emanuele Sella is an Italian road racing cyclist who currently rides with the Italian team .In out of competition control testing, performed July 23, 2008, Sella was found to test positive for CERA, the third generation EPO according to La Gazzetta dello Sport...
of won three stages in the race's final week and took a convincing victory in the mountains classification
Mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia
The mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia is a secondary classification. In this classification, points are awarded to the leading riders over designated climbs. Most climbs are sorted into one of three scales based on difficulty and its position on that day's stage...
, leading it for the entire race. His subsequent positive tests and confessions to the use of performance-enhancing drugs outside the Giro cast serious doubt on the legitimacy of these results, however. Daniele Bennati
Daniele Bennati
Daniele Bennati is an Italian road racing cyclist specializing in fast sprint finishes. He currently rides for UCI ProTeam . He turned professional in 2002, when he joined the team and wore zebra stripes as part of Mario Cipollini’s leadout train...
was nearly as dominant in winning the points classification, taking three stage wins and six other top-ten finishes. He led the classification after every stage except the second and eighth, which were both won by Riccò, who thereby gained the mauve jersey for one day on two separate occasions. Though Riccò was never able to take the overall race lead, he was the winner of the youth classification
Young rider classification in the Giro d'Italia
Since 1976, The Giro d'Italia has had a young rider classification. The leader in this classification wears the maglia bianca . The classification is determined by the best overall time, but only young cyclists were in the competition....
, taking the white jersey from Visconti when he lost the overall lead and holding it through the conclusion of the race. That jersey had also previously passed over the shoulders of Chris Anker Sørensen
Chris Anker Sørensen
Chris Anker Sørensen is a Danish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour .Chris Anker Sørensen started his professional career in 2007 with Team CSC...
and Morris Possoni
Morris Possoni
Morris Possoni is an Italian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .In 2008, Possoni rode for . His best moment was in the 2008 Giro d'Italia, where he wore the white jersey as leader of the young rider classification. In 2010, Possoni transferred to...
.
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
Riccardo Riccò
Riccardo Riccò is a professional road bicycle racer from Italy, currently under contract to UCI Continental team Meridiana-Kamen, and suspended from competition. He was ejected from the 2008 Tour de France for doping violations and suspended...
in stages 2 and 8, Daniele Bennati
Daniele Bennati
Daniele Bennati is an Italian road racing cyclist specializing in fast sprint finishes. He currently rides for UCI ProTeam . He turned professional in 2002, when he joined the team and wore zebra stripes as part of Mario Cipollini’s leadout train...
in stages 3, 9, and 12, and Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish MBE is a Manx professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam until the end of this season when the team is dissolved. He will join Team Sky at the start of the 2012 season...
in stages 4 and 13. also won multiple stages, with Pavel Brutt
Pavel Brutt
Pavel Brutt is a Russian professional track and road bicycle racer. He currently rides for UCI ProTour team Team Katusha the first Russian-owned team to compete in European cycling's elite,...
in stage 5 and Vasil Kiryienka
Vasil Kiryienka
Vasili Kiryienka is a Belarusian racing cyclist for UCI ProTeam . Kiryienka finished 2nd in the 10th stage of the 2010 Tour de France, he was outsprinted at the line by Sérgio Paulinho after basically leading him out to the finish...
in stage 19, after both figured into early morning breakaway groups.
, , , , and all won one stage apiece. won the opening team time trial
Team time trial
A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart...
, rider Marzio Bruseghin
Marzio Bruseghin
Marzio Bruseghin is an Italian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . His best achievement is winning the 2006 Italian time-trial championship, as well as winning two time trial stages in the Giro d'Italia...
won the Giro's first individual time trial
Individual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
, rider Gabriele Bosisio
Gabriele Bosisio
Gabriele Bosisio is an Italian professional road bicycle racer. Bosision rode for Tenax between 2003 and 2005 and for UCI Professional Continental team between 2008 and 2009....
won stage 7 from a morning escape, 's Alessandro Bertolini
Alessandro Bertolini
Alessandro Bertolini is an Italian professional road racing cyclist. He rides for the UCI Professional Continental cycling team . He is also known in Italy as "Alex" Bertolini.-Palmares:19961997...
took stage 11 from a breakaway, and veteran Jens Voigt
Jens Voigt
Jens Voigt is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . Voigt is known for his propensity to attack, and for his positive racing attitude. He is capable of repeated attacking, holding a high tempo, and breaking away from the peloton...
was the winner of stage 18.
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
Matthias Russ
Matthias Russ is a German professional road bicycle racer, currently unattached following the collapse of .- Palmares :* Regio-Tour – 1 stage & Best Young Rider * 3rd, National U23 Road Race Championship...
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.
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 SellaEmanuele Sella
Emanuele Sella is an Italian road racing cyclist who currently rides with the Italian team .In out of competition control testing, performed July 23, 2008, Sella was found to test positive for CERA, the third generation EPO according to La Gazzetta dello Sport...
, a triple stage winner, winner of the mountains classification
Mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia
The mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia is a secondary classification. In this classification, points are awarded to the leading riders over designated climbs. Most climbs are sorted into one of three scales based on difficulty and its position on that day's stage...
, 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
Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta
Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta is the active ingredient of a drug marketed by Hoffmann-La Roche under the brand name Mircera. Mircera is a long-acting erythropoietin receptor activator indicated for the treatment of patients with anaemia associated with chronic kidney disease. It is the...
, better known as Mircera, a third-generation form of the banned blood booster erythropoietin
Erythropoietin
Erythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...
. 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
2008 Tour de France
The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage...
had come to light, and samples were sent to labs in Paris for analysis. UCI President Pat McQuaid
Pat McQuaid
Patrick "Pat" McQuaid is a former Irish professional road racing cyclist and current president of the Union Cycliste Internationale .-Background:...
said that Sella had been targeted in the control and that "
Sella confessed his doping to the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) and named teammate Matteo Priamo
Matteo Priamo
Matteo Priamo is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, previously of UCI Professional Continental team ....
, also a stage winner in this Giro, as his supplier. Though Priamo never tested positive for anything, and though the Italian National Anti-Doping tribunal originally exonerated him, the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
ruled, upon appeal by CONI, that he should be suspended for four years.
Riccardo Riccò
Riccardo Riccò is a professional road bicycle racer from Italy, currently under contract to UCI Continental team Meridiana-Kamen, and suspended from competition. He was ejected from the 2008 Tour de France for doping violations and suspended...
, 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 . This control was taken just days before the one at which Sella gave his positive. Since it took place during the Tour de France, Riccò's results from that race have been removed, but the results for Sella, Priamo, and Riccò all still stand as no positive tests from controls taken during the Giro have come to light. Riccò claims to have only taken the drug before the Tour, but there has been speculation that his performances in the Giro were not legitimate. 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
Leonardo Piepoli
Leonardo Piepoli is an Italian professional road racing cyclist. He most recently rode for on the UCI ProTour, but had his contract suspended in July 2008 during the Tour de France amid allegations of the use of the blood boosting drug EPO in the team.-Career:He is a record four-time winner of the...
and Bernhard Kohl
Bernhard Kohl
thumb|Bernhard Kohl wears the polka dot jersey of theTour the France at the city centre criterium inWels on 30 July 2008Bernhard Kohl is an Austrian former professional road bicycle racer and recognized climbing specialist...
at the Tour de France, and Davide Rebellin
Davide Rebellin
Davide Rebellin is an Italian road bicycle racer, currently riding for the Italian Miche-Guerciotti team. He served a 2-year suspension for testing positive for Mircera at the 2008 Olympic Games...
and Stefan Schumacher
Stefan Schumacher
Stefan Schumacher is a German professional road racing cyclist.-Career:First professionally employed with Team Telekom in 2002, he was released the following year...
from the 2008 Olympic Games, 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
Ozone
Ozone , or trioxygen, is a triatomic molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope...
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 classificationGeneral Classification
The general classification in bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for bicycle riders in multi-stage bicycle races...
, 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.
Additionally, there was a points classification
Points classification
The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning intermediate sprints. The points classification is the top prize for many cycling sprinters and therefore is often known as the Sprint 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.
| Stage | Winner | General classification |
Points classification |
Mountains classification Mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia The mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia is a secondary classification. In this classification, points are awarded to the leading riders over designated climbs. Most climbs are sorted into one of three scales based on difficulty and its position on that day's stage...  |
Young rider classification Young rider classification in the Giro d'Italia Since 1976, The Giro d'Italia has had a young rider classification. The leader in this classification wears the maglia bianca . The classification is determined by the best overall time, but only young cyclists were in the competition....  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christian Vande Velde | no award | no award | Chris Anker Sørensen Chris Anker Sørensen Chris Anker Sørensen is a Danish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour .Chris Anker Sørensen started his professional career in 2007 with Team CSC... |
|
| 2 | Riccardo Riccò Riccardo Riccò Riccardo Riccò is a professional road bicycle racer from Italy, currently under contract to UCI Continental team Meridiana-Kamen, and suspended from competition. He was ejected from the 2008 Tour de France for doping violations and suspended... |
Franco Pellizotti Franco Pellizotti Franco Pellizotti is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, currently suspended from the sport.... |
Riccardo Riccò Riccardo Riccò Riccardo Riccò is a professional road bicycle racer from Italy, currently under contract to UCI Continental team Meridiana-Kamen, and suspended from competition. He was ejected from the 2008 Tour de France for doping violations and suspended... |
Emanuele Sella Emanuele Sella Emanuele Sella is an Italian road racing cyclist who currently rides with the Italian team .In out of competition control testing, performed July 23, 2008, Sella was found to test positive for CERA, the third generation EPO according to La Gazzetta dello Sport... |
|
| 3 | Daniele Bennati Daniele Bennati Daniele Bennati is an Italian road racing cyclist specializing in fast sprint finishes. He currently rides for UCI ProTeam . He turned professional in 2002, when he joined the team and wore zebra stripes as part of Mario Cipollini’s leadout train... |
Daniele Bennati Daniele Bennati Daniele Bennati is an Italian road racing cyclist specializing in fast sprint finishes. He currently rides for UCI ProTeam . He turned professional in 2002, when he joined the team and wore zebra stripes as part of Mario Cipollini’s leadout train... |
Morris Possoni Morris Possoni Morris Possoni is an Italian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .In 2008, Possoni rode for . His best moment was in the 2008 Giro d'Italia, where he wore the white jersey as leader of the young rider classification. In 2010, Possoni transferred to... |
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| 4 | Mark Cavendish Mark Cavendish Mark Cavendish MBE is a Manx professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam until the end of this season when the team is dissolved. He will join Team Sky at the start of the 2012 season... |
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| 5 | Pavel Brutt Pavel Brutt Pavel Brutt is a Russian professional track and road bicycle racer. He currently rides for UCI ProTour team Team Katusha the first Russian-owned team to compete in European cycling's elite,... |
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| 6 | Matteo Priamo Matteo Priamo Matteo Priamo is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, previously of UCI Professional Continental team .... |
Giovanni Visconti Giovanni Visconti (cyclist) Giovanni Visconti is an Italian professional road racing cyclist for UCI Professional Continental team . Visconti won the Italian National Championship road race on 1 July 2007, beating Paolo Bossoni and Davide Rebellin at the end in a sprint. At 12 km to go, Rebellin made his move... |
Giovanni Visconti Giovanni Visconti (cyclist) Giovanni Visconti is an Italian professional road racing cyclist for UCI Professional Continental team . Visconti won the Italian National Championship road race on 1 July 2007, beating Paolo Bossoni and Davide Rebellin at the end in a sprint. At 12 km to go, Rebellin made his move... |
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| 7 | Gabriele Bosisio Gabriele Bosisio Gabriele Bosisio is an Italian professional road bicycle racer. Bosision rode for Tenax between 2003 and 2005 and for UCI Professional Continental team between 2008 and 2009.... |
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| 8 | Riccardo Riccò Riccardo Riccò Riccardo Riccò is a professional road bicycle racer from Italy, currently under contract to UCI Continental team Meridiana-Kamen, and suspended from competition. He was ejected from the 2008 Tour de France for doping violations and suspended... |
Riccardo Riccò Riccardo Riccò Riccardo Riccò is a professional road bicycle racer from Italy, currently under contract to UCI Continental team Meridiana-Kamen, and suspended from competition. He was ejected from the 2008 Tour de France for doping violations and suspended... |
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| 9 | Daniele Bennati Daniele Bennati Daniele Bennati is an Italian road racing cyclist specializing in fast sprint finishes. He currently rides for UCI ProTeam . He turned professional in 2002, when he joined the team and wore zebra stripes as part of Mario Cipollini’s leadout train... |
Daniele Bennati Daniele Bennati Daniele Bennati is an Italian road racing cyclist specializing in fast sprint finishes. He currently rides for UCI ProTeam . He turned professional in 2002, when he joined the team and wore zebra stripes as part of Mario Cipollini’s leadout train... |
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| 10 | Marzio Bruseghin Marzio Bruseghin Marzio Bruseghin is an Italian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . His best achievement is winning the 2006 Italian time-trial championship, as well as winning two time trial stages in the Giro d'Italia... |
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| 11 | Alessandro Bertolini Alessandro Bertolini Alessandro Bertolini is an Italian professional road racing cyclist. He rides for the UCI Professional Continental cycling team . He is also known in Italy as "Alex" Bertolini.-Palmares:19961997... |
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| 12 | Daniele Bennati Daniele Bennati Daniele Bennati is an Italian road racing cyclist specializing in fast sprint finishes. He currently rides for UCI ProTeam . He turned professional in 2002, when he joined the team and wore zebra stripes as part of Mario Cipollini’s leadout train... |
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| 13 | Mark Cavendish Mark Cavendish Mark Cavendish MBE is a Manx professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam until the end of this season when the team is dissolved. He will join Team Sky at the start of the 2012 season... |
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| 14 | Emanuele Sella Emanuele Sella Emanuele Sella is an Italian road racing cyclist who currently rides with the Italian team .In out of competition control testing, performed July 23, 2008, Sella was found to test positive for CERA, the third generation EPO according to La Gazzetta dello Sport... |
Gabriele Bosisio Gabriele Bosisio Gabriele Bosisio is an Italian professional road bicycle racer. Bosision rode for Tenax between 2003 and 2005 and for UCI Professional Continental team between 2008 and 2009.... |
Riccardo Riccò Riccardo Riccò Riccardo Riccò is a professional road bicycle racer from Italy, currently under contract to UCI Continental team Meridiana-Kamen, and suspended from competition. He was ejected from the 2008 Tour de France for doping violations and suspended... |
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| 15 | Emanuele Sella Emanuele Sella Emanuele Sella is an Italian road racing cyclist who currently rides with the Italian team .In out of competition control testing, performed July 23, 2008, Sella was found to test positive for CERA, the third generation EPO according to La Gazzetta dello Sport... |
Alberto Contador Alberto Contador Alberto Contador Velasco is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He was the winner of the 2007 Tour de France with the team. With the Astana team he has won the 2008 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a España, the 2009 Tour de France, the 2010 Tour de France and won 2011 Giro... |
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| 16 | Franco Pellizotti Franco Pellizotti Franco Pellizotti is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, currently suspended from the sport.... |
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| 17 | André Greipel Andre Greipel André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany... |
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| 18 | Jens Voigt Jens Voigt Jens Voigt is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . Voigt is known for his propensity to attack, and for his positive racing attitude. He is capable of repeated attacking, holding a high tempo, and breaking away from the peloton... |
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| 19 | Vasil Kiryienka Vasil Kiryienka Vasili Kiryienka is a Belarusian racing cyclist for UCI ProTeam . Kiryienka finished 2nd in the 10th stage of the 2010 Tour de France, he was outsprinted at the line by Sérgio Paulinho after basically leading him out to the finish... |
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| 20 | Emanuele Sella Emanuele Sella Emanuele Sella is an Italian road racing cyclist who currently rides with the Italian team .In out of competition control testing, performed July 23, 2008, Sella was found to test positive for CERA, the third generation EPO according to La Gazzetta dello Sport... |
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| 21 | Marco Pinotti Marco Pinotti Marco Pinotti is an Italian road racing cyclist for UCI ProTeam . Pinotti is a specialist of individual time trial, in which he is a five-time Italian Time Trial Champion .... |
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Final |
Alberto Contador Alberto Contador Alberto Contador Velasco is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He was the winner of the 2007 Tour de France with the team. With the Astana team he has won the 2008 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a España, the 2009 Tour de France, the 2010 Tour de France and won 2011 Giro... |
Daniele Bennati Daniele Bennati Daniele Bennati is an Italian road racing cyclist specializing in fast sprint finishes. He currently rides for UCI ProTeam . He turned professional in 2002, when he joined the team and wore zebra stripes as part of Mario Cipollini’s leadout train... |
Emanuele Sella Emanuele Sella Emanuele Sella is an Italian road racing cyclist who currently rides with the Italian team .In out of competition control testing, performed July 23, 2008, Sella was found to test positive for CERA, the third generation EPO according to La Gazzetta dello Sport... |
Riccardo Riccò Riccardo Riccò Riccardo Riccò is a professional road bicycle racer from Italy, currently under contract to UCI Continental team Meridiana-Kamen, and suspended from competition. He was ejected from the 2008 Tour de France for doping violations and suspended... |
Final standings
| Legend | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |
Denotes the winner of the General classification | |
Denotes the winner of the Mountains classification Mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia The mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia is a secondary classification. In this classification, points are awarded to the leading riders over designated climbs. Most climbs are sorted into one of three scales based on difficulty and its position on that day's stage... |
| |
Denotes the winner of the Points classification | |
Denotes the winner of the Young rider classification Young rider classification in the Giro d'Italia Since 1976, The Giro d'Italia has had a young rider classification. The leader in this classification wears the maglia bianca . The classification is determined by the best overall time, but only young cyclists were in the competition.... |
General classification
| Rider | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
89h 56' 49" | |
| 2 | |
+ 1' 57" | |
| 3 | + 2' 54" | ||
| 4 | + 2' 56" | ||
| 5 | + 3' 37" | ||
| 6 | |
+ 4' 31" | |
| 7 | + 6' 30" | ||
| 8 | + 7' 15" | ||
| 9 | + 7' 53" | ||
| 10 | + 11' 03" |
Mountains classification
| Rider | Team | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
136 | |
| 2 | 63 | ||
| 3 | 48 | ||
| 4 | 20 | ||
| 5 | 20 | ||
| 6 | 20 | ||
| 7 | 20 | ||
| 8 | 19 | ||
| 9 | 19 | ||
| 10 | 18 |
Points classification
| Rider | Team | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
189 | |
| 2 | |
138 | |
| 3 | |
131 | |
| 4 | 106 | ||
| 5 | 106 | ||
| 6 | 96 | ||
| 7 | 87 | ||
| 8 | |
86 | |
| 9 | 80 | ||
| 10 | 76 |
Young rider classification
| Rider | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
89h 58' 46" | |
| 2 | + 4' 33" | ||
| 3 | + 18' 17" | ||
| 4 | + 1h 02' 12" | ||
| 5 | + 1h 03' 55" | ||
| 6 | + 1h 19' 07" | ||
| 7 | + 1h 28' 20" | ||
| 8 | + 1h 30' 36" | ||
| 9 | + 1h 37' 49" | ||
| 10 | + 1h 39' 33" |
Trofeo Fast Team classification
| Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 268h 52' 44" | |
| 2 | + 43' 48" | |
| 3 | + 1h 00' 42" | |
| 4 | + 1h 06' 48" | |
| 5 | + 1h 38' 13" | |
| 6 | + 1h 53' 33" | |
| 7 | + 1h 57' 53" | |
| 8 | + 2h 05' 32" | |
| 9 | + 2h 14' 59" | |
| 10 | + 2h 22' 25" |
Trofeo Super Team classification
| Team | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 360 | |
| 2 | 347 | |
| 3 | 340 | |
| 4 | 267 | |
| 5 | 258 | |
| 6 | 237 | |
| 7 | 223 | |
| 8 | 198 | |
| 9 | 188 | |
| 10 | 187 |
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 BalianiFortunato Baliani
Fortunato Baliani is an Italian road racing cyclist with D'Angelo & Antenucci-Nippo.- Palmares :*Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria * GP Cittá di Camaiore * Giro d'Italia** Mountains Classification...
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
Emanuele Sella
Emanuele Sella is an Italian road racing cyclist who currently rides with the Italian team .In out of competition control testing, performed July 23, 2008, Sella was found to test positive for CERA, the third generation EPO according to La Gazzetta dello Sport...
took this award. The Azzurri d'Italia classification was based on finishing order, but points were only awarded for the top three finishers in each stage. Like the overall points classification, it was ' Daniele Bennati
Daniele Bennati
Daniele Bennati is an Italian road racing cyclist specializing in fast sprint finishes. He currently rides for UCI ProTeam . He turned professional in 2002, when he joined the team and wore zebra stripes as part of Mario Cipollini’s leadout train...
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.
External links
- cyclingnews.com – Race reports and news features