2008 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race

The Men's Individual Road Race of the 2008 UCI Road World Championships cycling event took place on September 28 in Varese, Italy. The course comprised 15 laps around 17.35-kilometre route, making a total distance of 260.25 km. Each lap featured two ascents: the first at Via Montello (6.5% gradient for 1.15 kilometres); and the second at Ronchi (4.5% for 3.13 kilometres).[1] The highest elevation measured 480 metres (1,570 ft) at Via Montello.

Men's Individual Road Race
2008 UCI Road World Championships
The peloton during the race
The peloton during the race
Race details
DatesSeptember 28, 2008
Stages1
Distance260.25 km (161.7 mi)
Winning time6h 37' 30"
Medalists
   Gold  Alessandro Ballan (ITA) (Italy)
   Silver  Damiano Cunego (ITA) (Italy)
   Bronze  Matti Breschel (DEN) (Denmark)
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2009 →

Pre-race favourites included Paolo Bettini, who was trying for an unprecedented third consecutive title, and the 1999, 2001 and 2004 champion Óscar Freire.[2]

The race was won by Alessandro Ballan, with his fellow Italian Damiano Cunego in second and Matti Breschel of Denmark taking the bronze medal.[3]

Final classification edit

Did not finish edit

128 riders failed to finish the race. Levi Leipheimer of the United States did not start the race.

Nation qualification edit

14 to be enrolled, 9 to start
  Spain
  Italy
  Belgium
  Germany
  Luxembourg
  Australia
  France
   Switzerland
  Russia
  Netherlands
9 to be enrolled, 6 to start
  South Africa
  United States
  Venezuela
  Iran
  Slovenia
  Poland
  Ukraine
  Great Britain
  Portugal
  Denmark
5 to be enrolled, 3 to start
  Tunisia
  Argentina
  Colombia
  Canada
  Japan
  Uzbekistan
  Austria
  Sweden
  Croatia
  Ireland
  Hungary
  Bulgaria
  Slovakia
  Latvia
  Serbia
  Estonia
  New Zealand
  Czech Republic
  Finland
  Norway
  Kazakhstan
2 to be enrolled, 1 to start
  Morocco
  Cuba
  Costa Rica
  Ecuador
  Mexico
  Uruguay
  Belarus
  Sri Lanka
  Lithuania

References edit

  1. ^ "Courses - Road Races". Varese2008.org. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
  2. ^ "Cooke leads GB Worlds challenge". BBC Sport. 22 September 2008. Archived from the original on 25 September 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
  3. ^ "Road Cycling Worlds 2008". BBC Sport. 28 September 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2009.

External links edit