# 2008 Volta a Catalunya

The 2008 Volta a Catalunya (88th edition) road cycling race took place from May 19 to May 25, 2008, in Catalonia, Spain. Gustavo César took overall victory, becoming first rider of non-ProTour team to win a ProTour race general classification.

## Teams

Twenty-two teams of up to eight riders took part. The following UCI ProTour and UCI Professional Continental teams were named to the 2008 Volta a Catalunya:
| Belgium Quick-Step (QST) Silence–Lotto (SIL) Denmark Team CSC (CSC)  France Ag2r–La Mondiale (ALM) Agritubel (AGR) Bouygues Télécom (BTL) Cofidis (COF) Crédit Agricole (C.A) Française des Jeux (FDJ) | Gerolsteiner (GST) Team Milram (MRM) Italy Lampre (LAM) Liquigas (LIQ) Luxembourg Astana (AST) Netherlands Rabobank (RAB) | Andalucía–CajaSur (AZA) Caisse d'Epargne (GCE) Euskaltel–Euskadi (EUS) Karpin–Galicia (KGZ) Saunier Duval–Scott (SDV)  United States Slipstream–Chipotle (TSL) Team High Road (THR) |

## Route

Stage characteristics and winners :
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner |
| P | 19 May | Lloret de Mar to Lloret de Mar | 3.7 km (2.3 mi) | Individual time trial | Thor Hushovd (NOR) |
| 1 | 20 May | Riudellots de la Selva to Banyoles | 167.8 km (104.3 mi) | | Thor Hushovd (NOR) |
| 2 | 21 May | Banyoles to La Seu d'Urgell | 191.1 km (118.7 mi) | | Cyril Dessel (FRA) |
| 3 | 22 May | La Seu d'Urgell to Ascó | 217.2 km (135.0 mi) | | Pierrick Fédrigo (FRA) |
| 4 | 23 May | Ascó to El Vendrell | 163.5 km (101.6 mi) | | Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) |
| 5 | 24 May | El Vendrell to Pallejà | 163.9 km (101.8 mi) | | Francesco Chicchi (ITA) |
| 6 | 25 May | Pallejà to Barcelona | 106.2 km (66.0 mi) | | José Luis Carrasco (ESP) |

## Stages
### Prologue

May 19, 2008: Lloret de Mar to Lloret de Mar, 3.7 km (2.3 mi) (ITT)
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Thor Hushovd (NOR) | Crédit Agricole | 4' 37" |
| 2 | George Hincapie (USA) | Team High Road | + 6" |
| 3 | Iván Gutiérrez (ESP) | Caisse d'Epargne | + 7" |
| 4 | Thomas Lövkvist (SWE) | Team High Road | + 7" |
| 5 | Gustavo César (ESP) | Karpin–Galicia | + 7" |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Thor Hushovd (NOR) | Crédit Agricole | 4' 37" |
| 2 | George Hincapie (USA) | Team High Road | + 6" |
| 3 | Iván Gutiérrez (ESP) | Caisse d'Epargne | + 7" |
| 4 | Thomas Lövkvist (SWE) | Team High Road | + 7" |
| 5 | Gustavo César (ESP) | Karpin–Galicia | + 7" |

### Stage 1

May 20, 2008: Riudellots de la Selva to Banyoles, 167.8 km (104.3 mi)
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Thor Hushovd (NOR) | Crédit Agricole | 4h 07' 35" |
| 2 | Bernhard Eisel (AUT) | Team High Road | s.t. |
| 3 | Leonardo Duque (COL) | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 4 | Markus Zberg (SUI) | Gerolsteiner | s.t. |
| 5 | Mark Renshaw (AUS) | Crédit Agricole | s.t. |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Thor Hushovd (NOR) | Crédit Agricole | 4h 12' 02" |
| 2 | Leonardo Duque (COL) | Cofidis | + 14" |
| 3 | George Hincapie (USA) | Team High Road | + 16" |
| 4 | Iván Gutiérrez (ESP) | Caisse d'Epargne | + 17" |
| 5 | Thomas Lövkvist (SWE) | Team High Road | + 17" |

### Stage 2

May 21, 2008: Banyoles to La Seu d'Urgell, 191.1 km (118.7 mi)
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Cyril Dessel (FRA) | Ag2r–La Mondiale | 5h 10' 30" |
| 2 | Janez Brajkovič (SLO) | Astana | + 34" |
| 3 | Rémi Pauriol (FRA) | Crédit Agricole | + 34" |
| 4 | Josep Jufré (ESP) | Saunier Duval–Scott | + 34" |
| 5 | Rigoberto Urán (COL) | Caisse d'Epargne | + 34" |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Cyril Dessel (FRA) | Ag2r–La Mondiale | 9h 23' 03" |
| 2 | Rémi Pauriol (FRA) | Crédit Agricole | + 18" |
| 3 | Haimar Zubeldia (ESP) | Euskaltel–Euskadi | + 25" |
| 4 | Janez Brajkovič (SLO) | Astana | + 26" |
| 5 | Rigoberto Urán (COL) | Caisse d'Epargne | + 29" |

### Stage 3

May 22, 2008: La Seu d'Urgell to Ascó "La Vostra Energia", 217.2 km (135.0 mi)
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Pierrick Fédrigo (FRA) | Bouygues Télécom | 5h 06' 01" |
| 2 | Alexander Bocharov (RUS) | Crédit Agricole | s.t. |
| 3 | Gustavo César (ESP) | Karpin–Galicia | s.t. |
| 4 | Jelle Vanendert (BEL) | Française des Jeux | s.t. |
| 5 | Daniel Navarro (ESP) | Astana | s.t. |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Rémi Pauriol (FRA) | Crédit Agricole | 14h 29' 33" |
| 2 | Haimar Zubeldia (ESP) | Euskaltel–Euskadi | + 7" |
| 3 | Janez Brajkovič (SLO) | Astana | + 8" |
| 4 | Pierrick Fédrigo (FRA) | Bouygues Télécom | + 10" |
| 5 | Rigoberto Urán (COL) | Caisse d'Epargne | + 11" |

### Stage 4

May 23, 2008: Ascó "La Vostra Energia" to El Vendrell, 163.5 km (101.6 mi)
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) | Cofidis | 3h 52' 15" |
| 2 | Thor Hushovd (NOR) | Crédit Agricole | + 2' 32" |
| 3 | Bernhard Eisel (AUT) | Team High Road | + 2' 32" |
| 4 | Markus Zberg (SUI) | Gerolsteiner | + 2' 32" |
| 5 | Anthony Geslin (FRA) | Bouygues Télécom | + 2' 32" |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Rémi Pauriol (FRA) | Crédit Agricole | 18h 24' 25" |
| 2 | Josep Jufré (ESP) | Saunier Duval–Scott | + 2" |
| 3 | Haimar Zubeldia (ESP) | Euskaltel–Euskadi | + 7" |
| 4 | Janez Brajkovič (SLO) | Astana | + 8" |
| 5 | Gustavo César (ESP) | Karpin–Galicia | + 8" |

### Stage 5

May 24, 2008: El Vendrell to Pallejà, 163.9 km (101.8 mi)
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Francesco Chicchi (ITA) | Liquigas | 3h 44' 17" |
| 2 | Leonardo Duque (COL) | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 3 | Markus Zberg (SUI) | Gerolsteiner | s.t. |
| 4 | Mark Renshaw (AUS) | Crédit Agricole | s.t. |
| 5 | Mikel Gaztañaga (ESP) | Agritubel | s.t. |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Rémi Pauriol (FRA) | Crédit Agricole | 22h 08' 42" |
| 2 | Josep Jufré (ESP) | Saunier Duval–Scott | + 2" |
| 3 | Haimar Zubeldia (ESP) | Euskaltel–Euskadi | + 7" |
| 4 | Janez Brajkovič (SLO) | Astana | + 8" |
| 5 | Gustavo César (ESP) | Karpin–Galicia | + 8" |

### Stage 6

May 25, 2008: Pallejà to Barcelona, 106.2 km (66.0 mi)
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | José Luis Carrasco (ESP) | Andalucía–CajaSur | 2h 20' 38" |
| 2 | Gustavo César (ESP) | Karpin–Galicia | s.t. |
| 3 | Francisco Ventoso (ESP) | Andalucía–CajaSur | + 7" |
| 4 | Aleksandr Kuschynski (BLR) | Liquigas | + 7" |
| 5 | Eduardo Gonzalo (ESP) | Agritubel | + 7" |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Gustavo César (ESP) | Karpin–Galicia | 24h 29' 22" |
| 2 | Rigoberto Urán (COL) | Caisse d'Epargne | + 16" |
| 3 | Rémi Pauriol (FRA) | Crédit Agricole | + 21" |
| 4 | Josep Jufré (ESP) | Saunier Duval–Scott | + 21" |
| 5 | Daniel Navarro (ESP) | Astana | + 23" |

## Jersey progress

| Stage | Winner | General Classification | Mountains Classification | Points Classification | Sprints classification | Team Classification |
| P | Thor Hushovd | Thor Hushovd | no award | Thor Hushovd | no award | Crédit Agricole |
| 1 | Thor Hushovd | Thor Hushovd | Dario Cioni | Thor Hushovd | Freddy Bichot | Crédit Agricole |
| 2 | Cyril Dessel | Cyril Dessel | Christophe Moreau | Thor Hushovd | Freddy Bichot | Ag2r–La Mondiale |
| 3 | Pierrick Fédrigo | Rémi Pauriol | Christophe Moreau | Thor Hushovd | Freddy Bichot | Astana |
| 4 | Sylvain Chavanel | Rémi Pauriol | Christophe Moreau | Thor Hushovd | Sylvain Chavanel | Astana |
| 5 | Francesco Chicchi | Rémi Pauriol | Christophe Moreau | Thor Hushovd | Manuel Quinziato | Astana |
| 6 | José Luis Carrasco | Gustavo César | Christophe Moreau | Thor Hushovd | Manuel Quinziato | Astana |
| Final | Final | Gustavo César | Christophe Moreau | Thor Hushovd | Manuel Quinziato | Astana |

### Jersey wearers when one rider is leading two or more competitions

* On stage 1, George Hincapie wore the points jersey
* On stage 2, Leonardo Duque wore the points jersey

## Individual standings

As of 25 May 2008, after the 2008 Volta a Catalunya.
| Rank | Name | Team | Points |
| 1 | Damiano Cunego (ITA) | Lampre | 73 |
| 2 | André Greipel (GER) | Team High Road | 62 |
| 3 | Alberto Contador (ESP) | Astana | 58 |
| 4 | Thomas Dekker (NED) | Rabobank | 54 |
| 5 | Andreas Klöden (GER) | Astana | 53 |
| 6 | Stijn Devolder (BEL) | Quick-Step | 50 |
| 7 | José Joaquín Rojas (ESP) | Caisse d'Epargne | 45 |
| 8 | Mikel Astarloza (ESP) | Euskaltel–Euskadi | 45 |
| 9 | Cadel Evans (AUS) | Silence–Lotto | 42 |
| 10 | Óscar Freire (ESP) | Rabobank | 40 |
| 11 | Rigoberto Urán (COL) | Caisse d'Epargne | 40 |
| 12 | Roman Kreuziger (CZE) | Liquigas | 40 |
| 13 | Nick Nuyens (BEL) | Cofidis | 40 |
| 14 | Rémi Pauriol (FRA) | Crédit Agricole | 36 |
* 78 riders have scored at least one point on the 2008 UCI ProTour.