# 2008 Tirreno–Adriatico

The 2008 Tirreno–Adriatico, the 43rd running of the race, took place from 12 March to 18 March 2008. The race started in Civitavecchia and ended in San Benedetto del Tronto.

## Teams

Twenty-one teams, containing a total of 168 riders, participated in the race:
* Quick-Step
* Ag2r–La Mondiale
* Barloworld
* Caisse d'Epargne
* Cofidis
* CSF Group–Navigare
* Diquigiovanni–Androni
* Euskaltel–Euskadi
* Française des Jeux
* Gerolsteiner
* Team High Road
* Lampre
* Liquigas
* LPR Brakes–Ballan
* Rabobank
* Saunier Duval–Scott
* Silence–Lotto
* Slipstream–Chipotle
* Team CSC
* Team Milram
* Tinkoff Credit Systems

## Route

Stage characteristics and winners :
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner |
| 1 | 12 March | Civitavecchia to Civitavecchia | 160 km (99 mi) | Flat stage | Óscar Freire (ESP) |
| 2 | 13 March | Civitavecchia to Gubbio | 203 km (126 mi) | Hilly stage | Raffaele Illiano (ITA) |
| 3 | 14 March | Gubbio to Montelupone | 195 km (121 mi) | Hilly stage | Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) |
| 4 | 15 March | Porto Recanati to Civitanova Marche | 166 km (103 mi) | Flat stage | Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) |
| 5 | 16 March | Macerata to Recanati | 26 km (16 mi) | Individual time trial | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) |
| 6 | 17 March | Civitanova Marche to Castelfidardo | 196 km (122 mi) | Hilly stage | Óscar Freire (ESP) |
| 7 | 18 March | San Benedetto del Tronto to San Benedetto del Tronto | 176 km (109 mi) | Flat stage | Francesco Chicchi (ITA) |

## Stages
### Stage 1
#### 12 March 2008 — Civitavecchia to Civitavecchia, 160 km (99 mi)

| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Óscar Freire (ESP) | Rabobank | 4h 10' 01" |
| 2 | Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) | Team Milram | s.t. |
| 3 | José Joaquín Rojas (ESP) | Caisse d'Epargne | s.t. |
| 4 | Erik Zabel (GER) | Team Milram | s.t. |
| 5 | Baden Cooke (AUS) | Barloworld | s.t. |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Óscar Freire (ESP) | Rabobank | 4h 09' 51" |
| 2 | Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) | Team Milram | +4" |
| 3 | José Joaquín Rojas (ESP) | Caisse d'Epargne | +6" |
| 4 | Mikhail Ignatiev (RUS) | Tinkoff Credit Systems | +7" |
| 5 | Yuriy Krivtsov (UKR) | Ag2r–La Mondiale | +8" |

### Stage 2
#### 13 March 2008 — Civitavecchia to Gubbio, 203 km (126 mi)

| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Raffaele Illiano (ITA) | Serramenti Diquigiovanni | 5h 01' 10" |
| 2 | Enrico Gasparotto (ITA) | Barloworld | s.t |
| 3 | Niklas Axelsson (SWE) | Serramenti Diquigiovanni | + 3" |
| 4 | Linus Gerdemann (GER) | Team High Road | + 9" |
| 5 | Riccardo Riccò (ITA) | Saunier Duval–Scott | + 17" |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Enrico Gasparotto (ITA) | Barloworld | 9h 11' 05" |
| 2 | Niklas Axelsson (SWE) | Serramenti Diquigiovanni | + 2" |
| 3 | Linus Gerdemann (GER) | Team High Road | + 6" |
| 4 | Riccardo Riccò (ITA) | Saunier Duval–Scott | + 23" |
| 5 | Eros Capecchi (ITA) | Saunier Duval–Scott | s.t |

### Stage 3
#### 14 March 2008 — Gubbio to Montelupone, 195 km (121 mi)

| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) | Caisse d'Epargne | 4h 49' 59" |
| 2 | Danilo Di Luca (ITA) | L.P.R. Brakes | + 12" |
| 3 | Niklas Axelsson (SWE) | Serramenti Diquigiovanni | s.t. |
| 4 | Thomas Lövkvist (SWE) | Team High Road | s.t. |
| 5 | Leonardo Piepoli (ITA) | Saunier Duval–Scott | + 17" |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Niklas Axelsson (SWE) | Serramenti Diquigiovanni | 13h 56' 14" |
| 2 | Enrico Gasparotto (ITA) | Barloworld | + 10" |
| 3 | Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) | Caisse d'Epargne | + 18" |
| 4 | Linus Gerdemann (GER) | Team High Road | + 24" |
| 5 | Danilo Di Luca (ITA) | L.P.R. Brakes | + 32" |

### Stage 4
#### 15 March 2008 — Porto Recanati to Civitanova Marche, 166 km (103 mi)

| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) | Milram | 3h 59' 58" |
| 2 | Óscar Freire (ESP) | Rabobank | s.t. |
| 3 | Filippo Pozzato (ITA) | Liquigas | s.t. |
| 4 | Gerald Ciolek (GER) | Team High Road | s.t. |
| 5 | José Joaquín Rojas (ESP) | Caisse d'Epargne | s.t. |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Niklas Axelsson (SWE) | Serramenti Diquigiovanni | 17h 56' 12" |
| 2 | Enrico Gasparotto (ITA) | Barloworld | + 10" |
| 3 | Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) | Caisse d'Epargne | + 18" |
| 4 | Linus Gerdemann (GER) | Team High Road | + 24" |
| 5 | Danilo Di Luca (ITA) | L.P.R. Brakes | + 32" |

### Stage 5
#### 16 March 2008 — Macerata to Recanati, 26 km (16 mi) (ITT)

| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) | Team CSC | 33' 41" |
| 2 | David Zabriskie (USA) | Slipstream–Chipotle | + 22" |
| 3 | Thomas Lövkvist (SWE) | Team High Road | + 52" |
| 4 | Markus Fothen (GER) | Gerolsteiner | + 56" |
| 5 | Enrico Gasparotto (ITA) | Barloworld | + 1' 00" |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) | Team CSC | 18h 30' 47" |
| 2 | Enrico Gasparotto (ITA) | Barloworld | + 16" |
| 3 | Thomas Lövkvist (SWE) | Team High Road | + 40" |
| 4 | Linus Gerdemann (GER) | Team High Road | + 46" |
| 5 | Markus Fothen (GER) | Gerolsteiner | + 53" |

### Stage 6
#### 17 March 2008 — Civitanova Marche to Castelfidardo, 196 km (122 mi)

| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Óscar Freire (ESP) | Rabobank | 4h 46' 44" |
| 2 | Filippo Pozzato (ITA) | Liquigas | s.t. |
| 3 | Danilo Di Luca (ITA) | L.P.R. Brakes | s.t. |
| 4 | Giovanni Visconti (ITA) | Quick-Step | s.t. |
| 5 | Tadej Valjavec (SLO) | Ag2r–La Mondiale | s.t. |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) | Team CSC | 23h 17' 31" |
| 2 | Enrico Gasparotto (ITA) | Barloworld | + 16" |
| 3 | Thomas Lövkvist (SWE) | Team High Road | + 40" |
| 4 | Markus Fothen (GER) | Gerolsteiner | + 53" |
| 5 | Niklas Axelsson (SWE) | Serramenti Diquigiovanni | + 1' 32" |

### Stage 7
#### 18 March 2008 — San Benedetto del Tronto to San Benedetto del Tronto, 176 km (109 mi)

| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Francesco Chicchi (ITA) | Liquigas | 4h 50' 50" |
| 2 | Danilo Napolitano (ITA) | Lampre | s.t. |
| 3 | Mark Cavendish (GBR) | Team High Road | s.t. |
| 4 | Robbie McEwen (AUS) | Silence–Lotto | S.t. |
| 5 | Danilo Hondo (ITA) | Serramenti Diquigiovanni | s.t. |
| | Cyclist | Team | Time |
| 1 | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) | Team CSC | 28h 08' 21" |
| 2 | Enrico Gasparotto (ITA) | Barloworld | + 16" |
| 3 | Thomas Lövkvist (SWE) | Team High Road | + 40" |
| 4 | Markus Fothen (GER) | Gerolsteiner | + 53" |
| 5 | Niklas Axelsson (SWE) | Serramenti Diquigiovanni | + 1' 32" |

## Jersey progress

| Stage (Winner) | General Classification | Points Classification | Mountains Classification | Young Rider Classification | Team Classification |
| 0Stage 1 (Óscar Freire) | Óscar Freire | Óscar Freire | Yuriy Krivtsov | José Joaquín Rojas | Rabobank |
| 0Stage 2 (Raffaele Illiano) | Enrico Gasparotto | Raffaele Illiano | Niklas Axelsson | Riccardo Riccò | Ag2r–La Mondiale |
| 0Stage 3 (Joaquim Rodríguez) | Niklas Axelsson | Enrico Gasparotto | Lloyd Mondory | Thomas Lövkvist | Serramenti Diquigiovanni |
| 0Stage 4 (Alessandro Petacchi) | Niklas Axelsson | Enrico Gasparotto | Lloyd Mondory | Thomas Lövkvist | Serramenti Diquigiovanni |
| 0Stage 5 (Fabian Cancellara) | Fabian Cancellara | Enrico Gasparotto | Lloyd Mondory | Thomas Lövkvist | Team High Road |
| 0Stage 6 (Óscar Freire) | Fabian Cancellara | Óscar Freire | Juan José Oroz | Thomas Lövkvist | Team High Road |
| 0Stage 7 (Francesco Chicchi) | Fabian Cancellara | Óscar Freire | Lloyd Mondory | Thomas Lövkvist | Team High Road |
| 0Final | Fabian Cancellara | Óscar Freire | Lloyd Mondory | Thomas Lövkvist | Team High Road |

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

* On stage 2, Alessandro Petacchi wore the points jersey