2008 Tour de France: Difference between revisions
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| style="background:yellow;" rowspan="5"|[[Cadel Evans]] |
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| style="background:lightgreen;" rowspan="10"|[[Óscar Freire]] |
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| style= "background:white;" rowspan="2"|[[Riccardo Riccò]] |
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| style="background:orange;" rowspan="1"|[[Saunier Duval-Scott]] |
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Revision as of 15:08, 25 July 2008
 | This article documents a current road bicycle race. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses. Initial news reports, scores, or statistics may be unreliable. The last updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
 Tour de France 2008 - Course Outline | |
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 5 July–27 July |
| Stages | 21 |
| Distance | 3,559 km (2,211 mi) |
The 2008 Tour de France is the 95th Tour de France. The event is currently taking place from July 5 to July 27, 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour will enter Italy on the 15th stage and return to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which will be reached in the 21st stage. All time bonuses for intermediate sprints and at each stage finish line have been scrapped.
On February 13 2008, the event organisers, the Amaury Sport Organisation, announced that the Astana Team would be barred from the 2008 Tour due to its involvement in the doping scandals that marred the 2007 Tour and its links to the 2006 Operación Puerto doping case. This move comes despite an almost complete turnover of the team's management, and rider roster in the wake of the 2007 scandals. The ASO's decision means that defending champion Alberto Contador and last year's third-place finisher Levi Leipheimer, both of whom signed with the revamped Astana Team, will not compete in the 2008 Tour.[1] 2007 green jersey (points) winner Tom Boonen tested positive for cocaine in a test on May 26 2008. Since this was outside competition, Boonen does not face sanctions by the UCI or WADA. Despite the absence of official sanctions, Boonen was barred from the 2008 Tour de France.[2][3]
Teams
Long running disputes between the ASO and the UCI reached a head when the race organisers insisted upon the right to invite, or exclude, whichever teams it chose for the event. Under UCI rules, any ProTour event must be open to all member teams of the UCI's top level. The ASO made it clear that, despite changes in team management and personnel, it intended to exclude Astana from the event as a result of disruption to the two previous tours, and thus the link between the tour and the UCI was severed. The ASO announced on 20 March 2008 that all ProTour teams except Astana would be invited, along with three "wildcard" teams: Agritubel, Barloworld, and Team Slipstream-Chipotle (subsequently renamed as Team Garmin-Chipotle[4]).
The 20 teams invited to the race are:[5]
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|
Pre-race favourites
Because Astana Team is not invited to the 2008 Tour de France, the winner of the 2007 Tour de France, Alberto Contador, the 3rd place finisher Levi Leipheimer and the 2004 and 2006 Tour de France runner up Andreas Klöden are not competing. Ten days before the start of the tour, Contador picked Cadel Evans as the likely winner for 2008.[7] Shown in the table below are the riders that, according to the bookmakers[8] in the months before the start of the 2008 Tour de France, had a chance of winning the 2008 Tour better than or equal to 25/1. The odds shown are the odds in July 2008, directly before the start of the race. Thomas Dekker and Michael Rogers were also given odds in this range, but were not included in the Tour de France.
| Did not finish |
Stages
In previous years, the Tour started with a prologue, followed by a week of flat stages. The flat stages were dominated by the sprinters' teams, and the yellow jersey was worn by a sprinter who had a good prologue. Tour Director Christian Prudhomme announced that the 2008 Tour should be different: "We have wanted a first week of racing with much more rhythm. With no prologue, an uphill finish that will suit different types of sprinters at the end of stage one, with a short time trial on stage four and the first mountain at Super-Besse only 48 hours later, we have decided to change the scenario."[9] The time bonuses at the end of each stage were removed, and there will be 82 kilometres (51 mi) of time trials, rather less than usual.
The 2008 Tour de France is almost entirely in France, with only a small part in Italy.
| Stage | Route | Distance | Type | Date | Official page | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brest - Plumelec | 197.5 km | Flat stage | Saturday, July 5 | link | ||||
| 2 | Auray - Saint-Brieuc | 164.5 km | Flat stage | Sunday, July 6 | link | ||||
| 3 | Saint-Malo - Nantes | 208.0 km | Flat stage | Monday, July 7 | link | ||||
| 4 | Cholet | 29.5 km | Individual time trial | Tuesday, July 8 | link | ||||
| 5 | Cholet - Châteauroux | 232.0 km | Flat stage | Wednesday, July 9 | link | ||||
| 6 | Aigurande - Super-Besse Sancy | 195.5 km | Intermediate stage | Thursday, July 10 | link | ||||
| 7 | Brioude - Aurillac | 159.0 km | Intermediate stage | Friday, July 11 | link | ||||
| 8 | Figeac - Toulouse | 172.5 km | Flat stage | Saturday, July 12 | link | ||||
| 9 | Toulouse - Bagnères-de-Bigorre | 224.0 km | Mountain stage | Sunday, July 13 | link | ||||
| 10 | Pau - Hautacam | 156.0 km | Mountain stage | Monday, July 14 | link | ||||
| Rest day | Tuesday, July 15 | ||||||||
| 11 | Lannemezan - Foix | 167.5 km | Intermediate stage | Wednesday, July 16 | link | ||||
| 12 | Lavelanet - Narbonne | 168.5 km | Flat stage | Thursday, July 17 | link | ||||
| 13 | Narbonne - Nîmes | 182.0 km | Flat stage | Friday, July 18 | link | ||||
| 14 | Nîmes - Digne-les-Bains | 194.5 km | Flat stage | Saturday, July 19 | link | ||||
| 15 | Embrun[10] -  Prato Nevoso
|
183.0 km | Mountain stage | Sunday, July 20 | link | ||||
| Rest day | Monday, July 21 | ||||||||
| 16 | Cuneo - Jausiers
|
157.0 km | Mountain stage | Tuesday, July 22 | link | ||||
| 17 | Embrun - Alpe d'Huez | 210.5 km | Mountain stage | Wednesday, July 23 | link | ||||
| 18 | Bourg-d'Oisans - Saint-Étienne | 196.5 km | Intermediate stage | Thursday, July 24 | link | ||||
| 19 | Roanne - Montluçon | 165.5 km | Flat stage | Friday, July 25 | link | ||||
| 20 | Cérilly - Saint-Amand-Montrond | 53.0 km | Individual time trial | Saturday, July 26 | link | ||||
| 21 | Étampes - Paris Champs-Élysées | 143.0 km | Flat stage | Sunday, July 27 | link | ||||
| Total | 3,559.5 km | ||||||||
Stage recaps
Jersey progress
- Jersey wearers when one rider is leading two or more competitions
- In stage 2, Philippe Gilbert wore the green jersey
- In stage 4, Andy Schleck wore the white jersey
- In stage 7, Thor Hushovd wore the green jersey
- In stages 8 and 10, Óscar Freire wore the green jersey
- In stages 11 and 12, Vincenzo Nibali wore the white jersey.
- In stage 12, no-one wore the polka-dot jersey, due to Riccardo Riccò's withdrawal.
- Other notes
- Riccardo Riccò tested positive for MIRCERA after stage 4, hence his stage wins are in doubt. 2nd place finishers on those stages were Alejandro Valverde (stage 6) and Vladimir Efimkin (stage 9).
Overall standings
The light blue background indicates the wearer of the white jersey.
As of stage 18.
General Classification
|
Young Riders' Classification
|
King of the Mountains Classification
|
Points Classification
|
Teams Classification
| Rank | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Team CSC Saxo Bank |
237h 42' 06" |
| 2 |  Ag2r-La Mondiale |
+ 9' 27" |
| 3 |  Rabobank |
+ 1h 01' 17" |
| 4 |  Euskaltel-Euskadi |
+ 1h 07' 57" |
| 5 | Caisse d'Epargne |
+ 1h 11' 56" |
| 6 |  Silence-Lotto |
+ 1h 13' 29" |
| 7 | Lampre |
+ 1h 18' 16" |
| 8 |  Team Columbia |
+ 1h 23' 09" |
| 9 | Crédit Agricole |
+ 1h 25' 27" |
| 10 |  Gerolsteiner |
+ 1h 29' 14" |
Prize money
A total prize fund of approximately €3.25m is awarded throughout the tour. Each team receives €51,243 towards expenses of participation, with an additional €1,600 per rider who completes the race, if at least seven do so.[12][13]
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Stages | €8,000 | €4,000 | €2,000 | €1,200 | €830 | Prizes down to 20th place (€200). |
| General Classification | €450,000 | €200,000 | €100,000 | €70,000 | €50,000 | All finishers earn at least €400. The wearer of the Yellow Jersey each day gets €350. |
| Overall Points Competition | €25,000 | €15,000 | €10,000 | €4,000 | €3,500 | Additional prize money down to 8th place (€2,000). The leader of the ranking each day gets €300. |
| Intermediate Sprints | €800 | €450 | €300 | There are 45 such sprints during the tour. | ||
| King of the Mountains Competition | €25,000 | €15,000 | €10,000 | €4,000 | €3,500 | Additional prize money down to 8th place (€2,000). The leader of the ranking each day gets €300. |
| Hors Category climbs | €800 | €450 | €300 | There are 8 HC cols during the tour. There are additional €5,000 prizes for the riders first over the Tourmalet (stage 10) and the Galibier (stage 17). | ||
| First category climbs | €650 | €400 | €150 | There are 4 such mountains during the tour. | ||
| Second category climbs | €500 | €250 | There are 5 such climbs during the tour. | |||
| Third category climbs | €300 | There are 14 such climbs during the tour. | ||||
| Fourth category climbs | €200 | There are 26 such climbs during the tour. | ||||
| Young Riders' Competition | €20,000 | €15,000 | €10,000 | €5,000 | The first young rider each day gets €500, and the leader of the ranking each day gets €300. | |
| Combativity prize | €20,000 | A prize of €2,000 is awarded for each stage except time trials. | ||||
| Team Competition | €50,000 | €30,000 | €20,000 | €12,000 | €8,000 | The team with the fastest time for its first three finishers each day gets €2,800. |
By tradition, a team's winnings are pooled and shared among the riders and support team.
Withdrawals
Riders who withdrew, were disqualified, or injured.
Doping
On July 3, 2008, France enacted a law criminalizing using or trafficking in doping substances.[16]
On 11 July news broke that Spanish rider Manuel Beltrán tested positive for EPO after the first stage of the tour. Blood abnormalities before the tour start had led French anti-doping agency (AFLD) to target the rider. Beltrán's team Liquigas withdrew him from the tour with immediate effect. French law enforcement questioned Beltrán over possible offences and searched his hotel room, but he claimed his innocence. The B-Sample has not yet been tested.[17]
On 13 July, prior to the ninth stage, it was revealed that AFLD had informed team doctors that five riders had unusually high hematocrit levels. The Italian press reported that Riccardo Riccò, who won the stage later that day, had been selected for testing several times during the first week, which led to a suspicion that he was among those whose teams had been notified. Riccò has for some time been known to have a naturally high hematocrit level of 51%, above the 50%-level which usually is taken to be an indicator of possible blood manipulation. Riccò stated that he has a license confirming that this is a natural, long-term condition, which he gave to the doping agencies before the start of a race.[18]
On 16 July ASO released an official statement that Barloworld would start the 11th stage, in Lannemezan, without Moisés Dueñas, who had been withdrawn from the team after being tested positive for (EPO) at the end of the time trial fourth stage.[19] Barloworld, two days later, announced that they were withdrawing from sponsorship after this year's Tour de France.[20]
On 17 July, shortly before the start of stage 12, Ricardo Riccò and the rest of the Saunier Duval-Scott team, withdrew from the race after the announcement that he had tested positive for MIRCERA, a new type of EPO, at the end of stage 4.[21][22] Leonardo Piepoli, winner of stage 10, was sacked by his team for "violation of the team's ethics code" the following day, though no positive test had been reported by that date.[23]
See also
Notes and references
- ^ Associated Press (2008-02-13). "Tour de France organizers exclude Astana team; Alberto Contador may not defend title". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Boonen participation in Tour de France to be decided: Ouick Step". afp.google.com. 2008-06-11.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Former world champion Tom Boonen barred from Tour de France". afp.google.com. 2008-06-11.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Garmin is the new title sponsor of the Slipstream-Chipotle team" (Press release). VeloNews. June 18 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
{{cite press release}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ TOUR 2008 : VINGT ÉQUIPES INVITÉES (PDF)
- ^ renamed with effect from the date of commencement of the 2008 Tour de France, formerly known as Team High Road : "Columbia Sportswear Announces Sponsorship" (Press release). Team Columbia & High Road Sports, Inc. June 15 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
{{cite press release}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Contador rates Evans as Tour favourite". 2008-06-25.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ All odds taken from skybet.com
- ^ Gregor Brown. "A Grand Tour with minimal transfers and mythical mountains". cyclingnews.
- ^ The 15th stage was due to start at Digne-les-Bains but due to the risk of rock falls in the climb up the Col de Larche, the organisers decided to modify the itinerary. The stage will take off from Embrun and head to Prato Nevoso facing the climb up the Col Agnel (2744 m).
- ^ a b c d e Official Tour de France standing
- ^ Rules and Stakes at Le Tour.fr
- ^ 2008 Rules and Stakes at Le Tour.fr (PDF)
- ^ Piepoli of Italy wins 10th stage of Tour
- ^ http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/jul08/jul21news
- ^ Law 2008-650 of July 3, 2008, amending the Sports Code
- ^ "Doping agency: Beltran positive for EPO". google.com. AP. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
- ^ "Riccò makes it look easy on Col d'Aspin". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
- ^ "11:02 - Official Statement From ASO". letour.fr. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ^ http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=185&art_id=nw20080719130626460C437381 Plug pulled on Team Barloworld
- ^ http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/tour08/news/?id=/news/2008/jul08/jul17news4
- ^ http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/17/sports/TOUR.php
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/7514224.stm
External links
- The official Tour de France site
- Template:Nl Transclusion error: {{En}} is only for use in File namespace. Use {{lang-en}} or {{in lang|en}} instead. Template:Fr A presentation of the Tour de France 2008 stages
- Tour de France 2008 on Google Earth
- Cyclingfans.com Tour de France live video and audio feeds
- The stages of the official Tour de France 2008 route on Google Maps New: Google interactive map in Terrain View
- Tour de France 2008 List of Stages and Trip Planner
- The individual stages of the official Tour de France 2008 route on Google Maps New: Google interactive map with all the single stages based on detailed KML file
- Le dico du Tour / Le Tour de France de 1947 à 2008 (French)
- 2008 Tour de France: Stage by stage Interactive application with Google Maps
