The 2008 Vuelta a España was the 63rd edition of the Vuelta a España, one of cycling’s Grand Tours. The race began with a 7 km (4.3 mi) team time trial on 30 August in Granada. The Vuelta came to a close twenty-three days later with a 102.2 km (63.5 mi) flat stage, which brought the peloton into the streets of Madrid. Nineteen teams entered the race, which was won by the Spaniard Alberto Contador of Astana. Second and third respectively were the American Levi Leipheimer of Astana and the Spanish Carlos Sastre of CSC–Saxo Bank.
Alberto Contador first gained the race lead after the race’s thirteenth stage, which contained a summit finish on the Alto de El Angliru. Contador took the lead from Euskaltel–Euskadi’s Egoi Martínez, who had held the race lead for four stages. Through the first nine days of racing the race leader’s golden jersey had been worn by eight different riders. The day after Contador gained the lead of the race, he attacked again and won the stage, while also expanding his lead over his competitors. Contador lost about thirty seconds to his teammate Levi Leipheimer in the stage 20 individual time trial, but together he and Levi further distanced themselves from the other general classification contenders.
Contador’s win at the Vuelta allowed him to become the first Spaniard – and the fifth person in the history of cycling – to win all three Grand Tours in a career. At the age of 25, Contador became the youngest person to ever win all three Grand Tours. Contador was also the third cyclist to ever win the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta in the same calendar year. In addition to the general classification, Contador also won the combination classification. In the race’s other classifications, Silence–Lotto’s Greg Van Avermaet won the points classification and David Moncoutié of the Cofidis team won the mountains classification. Finally, Caisse d’Epargne won the team classification, which ranked each of the nineteen teams contesting the race by lowest cumulative time.
Teams
- Ag2r–La Mondiale
- Andalucía-CajaSur†
- Astana
- Bouygues Télécom
- Caisse d’Epargne
- Cofidis
- Crédit Agricole
|
- Euskaltel–Euskadi
- Française des Jeux
- Gerolsteiner
- Lampre
- Liquigas
- Team Milram
|
- Quick-Step
- Rabobank
- CSC–Saxo Bank
- Silence–Lotto
- Tinkoff Credit Systems†
- Xacobeo–Galicia†
|
Routes and Stages
Stage |
Date |
Course |
Distance |
Type |
Winner |
1 |
30 August |
Granada |
7.7 km (5 mi) |
![Time Trial.svg]() |
Team time trial |
Liquigas |
2 |
31 August |
Granada to Jaén |
167.3 km (104 mi) |
![Plain stage]() |
Flat stage |
Alejandro Valverde (ESP) |
3 |
1 September |
Jaén to Córdoba |
168.6 km (105 mi) |
![Plain stage]() |
Flat stage |
Tom Boonen (BEL) |
4 |
2 September |
Córdoba to Puertollano |
170.3 km (106 mi) |
![Plain stage]() |
Flat stage |
Daniele Bennati (ITA) |
5 |
3 September |
Ciudad Real |
42.5 km (26 mi) |
![Time Trial.svg]() |
Individual time trial |
Levi Leipheimer (USA) |
6 |
4 September |
Ciudad Real to Toledo |
150.1 km (93 mi) |
![Plain stage]() |
Flat stage |
Paolo Bettini (ITA) |
|
5 September |
Rest day |
7 |
6 September |
Barbastro to Naturlandia-La Rabassa (Andorra) |
223.2 km (139 mi) |
![Mountain stage]() |
Mountain stage |
Alessandro Ballan (ITA) |
8 |
7 September |
Escaldes-Engordany (Andorra) to Plá de Beret |
151 km (94 mi) |
![Mountain stage]() |
Mountain stage |
David Moncoutié (FRA) |
9 |
8 September |
Vielha e Mijaran to Sabiñánigo |
200.8 km (125 mi) |
![Intermediate stage]() |
Intermediate stage |
Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) |
10 |
9 September |
Sabiñánigo to Zaragoza |
151.3 km (94 mi) |
![Plain stage]() |
Flat stage |
Sébastien Hinault (FRA) |
11 |
10 September |
Calahorra to Burgos |
178 km (111 mi) |
![Plain stage]() |
Flat stage |
Óscar Freire (ESP) |
12 |
11 September |
Burgos to Suances |
186.4 km (116 mi) |
![Intermediate stage]() |
Intermediate stage |
Paolo Bettini (ITA) |
|
12 September |
Rest day |
13 |
13 September |
San Vicente de la Barquera to Alto de El Angliru |
209.5 km (130 mi) |
![Mountain stage]() |
Mountain stage |
Alberto Contador (ESP) |
14 |
14 September |
Oviedo to Fuentes de Invierno |
158.4 km (98 mi) |
![Mountain stage]() |
Mountain stage |
Alberto Contador (ESP) |
15 |
15 September |
Cudillero to Ponferrada |
202 km (126 mi) |
![Mountain stage]() |
Mountain stage |
David García (ESP) |
16 |
16 September |
Ponferrada to Zamora |
186.3 km (116 mi) |
![Plain stage]() |
Flat stage |
Tom Boonen (BEL) |
17 |
17 September |
Zamora to Valladolid |
148.2 km (92 mi) |
![Plain stage]() |
Flat stage |
Wouter Weylandt (BEL) |
18 |
18 September |
Valladolid to Las Rozas |
167.4 km (104 mi) |
![Plain stage]() |
Flat stage |
Imanol Erviti (ESP) |
19 |
19 September |
Las Rozas to Segovia |
145.5 km (90 mi) |
![Mountain stage]() |
Mountain stage |
David Arroyo (ESP) |
20 |
20 September |
La Granja de San Ildefonso to Alto de Navacerrada |
17.1 km (11 mi) |
![Time Trial.svg]() |
Individual time trial |
Levi Leipheimer (USA) |
21 |
21 September |
San Sebastián de los Reyes to Madrid |
102.2 km (64 mi) |
![Plain stage]() |
Flat stage |
Matti Breschel (DEN) |
|
Total |
3,133.8 km (1,947 mi) |
Classification Leadership
Classification leadership by stage
Stage |
Winner |
General classification
![a golden jersey]() |
Points classification
![a blue jersey]() |
Mountains classification
![a granate jersey]() |
Combination classification
![a white jersey]() |
Team classification |
1 |
Liquigas |
Filippo Pozzato |
not awarded |
not awarded |
not awarded |
Liquigas |
2 |
Alejandro Valverde |
Alejandro Valverde |
Alejandro Valverde |
Jesús Rosendo |
Egoi Martínez |
Caisse d’Epargne |
3 |
Tom Boonen |
Daniele Bennati |
4 |
Daniele Bennati |
Daniele Bennati |
Paolo Bettini |
Quick-Step |
5 |
Levi Leipheimer |
Levi Leipheimer |
Egoi Martínez |
Astana |
6 |
Paolo Bettini |
Sylvain Chavanel |
Paolo Bettini |
7 |
Alessandro Ballan |
Alessandro Ballan |
Alessandro Ballan |
Alessandro Ballan |
8 |
David Moncoutié |
Levi Leipheimer |
Alejandro Valverde |
Alberto Contador |
9 |
Greg Van Avermaet |
Egoi Martínez |
David Moncoutié |
Caisse d’Epargne |
10 |
Sébastien Hinault |
Greg Van Avermaet |
11 |
Óscar Freire |
12 |
Paolo Bettini |
Astana |
13 |
Alberto Contador |
Alberto Contador |
Caisse d’Epargne |
14 |
Alberto Contador |
Alberto Contador |
15 |
David García |
16 |
Tom Boonen |
17 |
Wouter Weylandt |
Greg Van Avermaet |
18 |
Imanol Erviti |
19 |
David Arroyo |
20 |
Levi Leipheimer |
21 |
Matti Breschel |
Final |
Alberto Contador |
Greg Van Avermaet |
David Moncoutié |
Alberto Contador |
Caisse d’Epargne |
Final standings
Legend |
![A pink jersey]() |
Denotes the winner of the General classification[2][8] |
![A green jersey]() |
Denotes the winner of the Mountains classification[2][8] |
![A granate jersey]() |
Denotes the winner of the Points classification[2][8] |
![A white jersey]() |
Denotes the winner of the Combination classification[2] |
General classification
Final general classification (1–10)
|
Rider |
Team |
Time |
1 |
Alberto Contador (ESP) ![a white jersey]() |
Astana |
80h 40′ 08″ |
2 |
Levi Leipheimer (USA) |
Astana |
+ 46″ |
3 |
Carlos Sastre (ESP) |
CSC–Saxo Bank |
+ 4′ 12″ |
4 |
Ezequiel Mosquera (ESP) |
Xacobeo–Galicia |
+ 5′ 19″ |
5 |
Alejandro Valverde (ESP) |
Caisse d’Epargne |
+ 6′ 00″ |
6 |
Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) |
Caisse d’Epargne |
+ 6′ 50″ |
7 |
Robert Gesink (NED) |
Rabobank |
+ 6′ 55″ |
8 |
David Moncoutié (FRA) ![a granate jersey]() |
Cofidis |
+ 10′ 10″ |
9 |
Egoi Martínez (ESP) |
Euskaltel–Euskadi |
+ 10′ 57″ |
10 |
Marzio Bruseghin (ITA) |
Lampre |
+ 11′ 56″ |
Points classification
|
Rider |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) ![a blue jersey]() |
Silence–Lotto |
158 |
2 |
Alberto Contador (ESP) ![a white jersey]() |
Astana |
137 |
3 |
Alejandro Valverde (ESP) |
Caisse d’Epargne |
129 |
4 |
Levi Leipheimer (USA) |
Astana |
116 |
5 |
Koldo Fernández (ESP) |
Euskaltel–Euskadi |
88 |
6 |
Matti Breschel (DEN) |
CSC–Saxo Bank |
69 |
7 |
Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) |
Caisse d’Epargne |
69 |
8 |
Sébastien Hinault (FRA) |
Crédit Agricole |
68 |
9 |
Ezequiel Mosquera (ESP) |
Xacobeo–Galicia |
67 |
10 |
David Moncoutié (FRA)![a granate jersey]() |
Cofidis |
65 |
King of the Mountains classification
|
Rider |
Team |
Points |
1 |
David Moncoutié (FRA) ![a granate jersey]() |
Cofidis |
149 |
2 |
Christophe Kern (FRA) |
Crédit Agricole |
106 |
3 |
Alberto Contador (ESP) ![a white jersey]() |
Astana |
99 |
4 |
Juan Manuel Gárate (ESP) |
Quick-Step |
89 |
5 |
Levi Leipheimer (USA) |
Astana |
65 |
6 |
Ezequiel Mosquera (ESP) |
Xacobeo–Galicia |
56 |
7 |
Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) |
Caisse d’Epargne |
51 |
8 |
Alejandro Valverde (ESP) |
Caisse d’Epargne |
48 |
9 |
Iñigo Landaluze (ESP) |
Euskaltel–Euskadi |
46 |
10 |
Maarten Tjallingii (NED) |
Silence–Lotto |
43 |
Combination classification
|
Rider |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Alberto Contador (ESP) ![A golden jersey]() |
Astana |
6 |
2 |
Levi Leipheimer (USA) |
Astana |
11 |
3 |
Alejandro Valverde (ESP) |
Caisse d’Epargne |
16 |
4 |
Ezequiel Mosquera (ESP) |
Xacobeo–Galicia |
19 |
5 |
David Moncoutié (FRA) ![a granate jersey]() |
Cofidis |
19 |
6 |
Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) |
Caisse d’Epargne |
20 |
7 |
Carlos Sastre (ESP) |
CSC–Saxo Bank |
26 |
8 |
Robert Gesink (NED) |
Rabobank |
41 |
9 |
David Arroyo (ESP) |
Caisse d’Epargne |
50 |
10 |
Juan Manuel Gárate (ESP) |
Quick-Step |
58 |
Teams classification
|
Team |
Time |
1 |
Caisse d’Epargne |
241h 20′ 38″ |
2 |
Euskaltel–Euskadi |
+ 39′ 22″ |
3 |
CSC–Saxo Bank |
+ 39′ 35″ |
4 |
Astana |
+ 42′ 01″ |
5 |
Xacobeo–Galicia |
+ 51′ 31″ |
6 |
Lampre |
+ 1h 14′ 51″ |
7 |
Rabobank |
+ 1h 17′ 22″ |
8 |
Ag2r–La Mondiale |
+ 1h 27′ 42″ |
9 |
Crédit Agricole |
+ 1h 28′ 56″ |
10 |
Silence–Lotto |
+ 1h 42′ 42″ |