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.
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.
Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 10 May | Palermo | 23.6 km (14.7 mi) | Team time trial | Slipstream-Chipotle | ||
2 | 11 May | Cefalù to Agrigento | 207 km (129 mi) | Intermediate stage | Riccardo Riccò (ITA) | ||
3 | 12 May | Catania to Milazzo | 221 km (137 mi) | Flat stage | Daniele Bennati (ITA) | ||
4 | 13 May | Pizzo Calabro to Catanzaro-Lungomare | 183 km (114 mi) | Flat stage | Mark Cavendish (GBR) | ||
5 | 14 May | Belvedere Marittimo to Contursi Terme | 203 km (126 mi) | Intermediate stage | Pavel Brutt (RUS) | ||
6 | 15 May | Potenza to Peschici | 231.6 km (143.9 mi) | Intermediate stage | Matteo Priamo (ITA) | ||
7 | 16 May | Vasto to Pescocostanzo | 180 km (112 mi) | Intermediate stage | Gabriele Bosisio (ITA) | ||
8 | 17 May | Rivisondoli to Tivoli | 208 km (129 mi) | Intermediate stage | Riccardo Riccò (ITA) | ||
9 | 18 May | Civitavecchia to San Vincenzo | 218 km (135 mi) | Flat stage | Daniele Bennati (ITA) | ||
19 May | Rest day | ||||||
10 | 20 May | Pesaro to Urbino | 39.4 km (24.5 mi) | Individual time trial | Marzio Bruseghin (ITA) | ||
11 | 21 May | Urbania to Cesena | 199 km (124 mi) | Intermediate stage | Alessandro Bertolini (ITA) | ||
12 | 22 May | Forlì to Carpi | 172 km (107 mi) | Flat stage | Daniele Bennati (ITA) | ||
13 | 23 May | Modena to Cittadella | 177 km (110 mi) | Flat stage | Mark Cavendish (GBR) | ||
14 | 24 May | Verona to Alpe di Pampeago | 195 km (121 mi) | Mountain stage | Emanuele Sella (ITA) | ||
15 | 25 May | Arabba to Passo Fedaia | 153 km (95 mi) | Mountain stage | Emanuele Sella (ITA) | ||
16 | 26 May | San Vigilio di Marebbe to Plan de Corones | 12.8 km (8.0 mi) | Individual time trial | Franco Pellizotti (ITA) | ||
27 May | Rest day | ||||||
17 | 28 May | Sondrio to Locarno (Switzerland) | 146 km (91 mi) | Flat stage | André Greipel (GER) | ||
18 | 29 May | Mendrisio (Switzerland) to Varese | 147 km (91 mi) | Intermediate stage | Jens Voigt (GER) | ||
19 | 30 May | Legnano to Presolana | 238 km (148 mi) | Mountain stage | Vasil Kiryienka (BLR) | ||
20 | 31 May | Rovetta to Tirano | 224 km (139 mi) | Mountain stage | Emanuele Sella (ITA) | ||
21 | 1 June | Milan | 28.5 km (17.7 mi) | Individual time trial | Marco Pinotti (ITA) | ||
Total | 3,407 km (2,117 mi) |
Read more about this topic: 2008 Giro D'Italia
Famous quotes containing the words route and/or stages:
“A Route of Evanescence
With a revolving Wheel”
—Emily Dickinson (18301886)
“Phlebas the Phoenician, a fortnight dead,
Forgot the cry of gulls, and the deep sea swell
And the profit and loss.
A current under sea
Picked his bones in whispers. As he rose and fell
He passed the stages of his age and youth
Entering the whirlpool.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)