2008 Tour de France
Route of the 2008 Tour de France
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| Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Dates | 5–27 July | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stages | 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 3,559 km (2,211 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Winning time | 87h 52' 52" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Winner |
 Carlos Sastre (ESP)
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(CSC–Saxo Bank) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second |
 Cadel Evans (AUS)
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(Silence–Lotto) | |
| Third |
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(Rabobank) | |
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Points |
Óscar Freire (ESP)
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(Rabobank) |
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Mountains |
Carlos Sastre (ESP)
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(CSC–Saxo Bank) |
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Youth |
 Andy Schleck (LUX)
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(CSC–Saxo Bank) |
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Team | CSC–Saxo Bank | |
The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th running of the race. The event took place from 5 to 27 July. 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. The race was won by Carlos Sastre.
Unlike previous years, time bonuses were no longer awarded for intermediate sprints and for high placement on each stage. This altered the way the General Classification was awarded in comparison to previous seasons.
Long running disputes between the event organisers, 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 its involvement in the doping scandals that marred the 2007 Tour and its links to the 2006 Operación Puerto doping case. This meant that the champion (Alberto Contador) and third-place finisher (Levi Leipheimer) from 2007, both of whom had since signed with Astana, could not compete in the 2008 Tour.
The ASO announced on 20 March 2008 that all ProTour teams except Astana would be invited, along with three wildcard teams: Agritubel, Barloworld, and Slipstream–Chipotle (subsequently renamed as Garmin–Chipotle–H30). With each team consisting of nine riders, 180 riders started the Tour.
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