The 2008 Milano-San Remo turned out to be a major triumph for Fabian Cancellara, who after excellent support from his teammates ended up crossing the finish line solo - ahead of a strong front group.

In a fantastic finale with a surprising number of attacks both on the Cipressa and the Poggio, several of the great classic’s specialists tore themselves loose from the peloton a few at a time. They regrouped in between the two famous climbs, but it soon became clear that the Cipressa had gotten the better of many of the riders in the peloton.

Team CSC riders Kroon and Schleck helped close the initial gaps and later several other Team CSC members were up front between the Cipressa and the Poggio pulling the peloton to set a high pace. When a dangerous group started forming on Poggio Cancellara escaped from the peloton and bridged up to a front group containing Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner), World Champion Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) and Oscar Freire (Rabobank) amongst others.

But none of them were able to keep up on the descent or the flat stretch just before the finish line, when Cancellara turned up the volume to the max and put a big fat line under the fact that it is no coincidence that he has won the World Time Trial Championships two years in a row.

Behind Cancellara Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas) won the sprint for the second place and Belgian Philippe Gilbert of Team Francaise des Jeux took third. This was Cancellara’s third this week.

"I’ve just won one of the greatest races there are and I’m extremely excited. I’m happy and proud to be able to finish the hard work my teammates did out there. First of all they deserve big credit for their efforts today," said Fabian Cancellara after his brilliant victory.
 
"I didn’t actually feel that great at the beginning, but once we got the first climbs out of the way, I got a clear feeling that today was one of those days where everything just might come together perfectly," explained the Swiss rider and added "On Poggio I made sure to keep up but without using all my energy and at the same time making sure to be among the first to cross, so I wouldn’t loose any time on the descent. I felt in control and was able to keep my head cool so I knew exactly when to attack at the end."
 
After his victory in the 2008 Tirreno-Adriatico everyone considered Cancellara to be amongst the favorites this Saturday and as it turned out he managed to time his efforts to perfection.
 
"I’ve said it before that I’m capable of winning Milano-San Remo, but it’s always difficult to pinpoint exactly when. Today I got the chance and I’m extremely happy to have won this race," concluded Cancellara.

The MILRAM sprinters came across the finish line with the main field.

After the race Alessandro Petacchi told Roadcycling.com: "Actually we were doing quite well.  I held myself back on the Poggio, because I was speculating on a mass sprint.  Unfortunately the breakaway group worked well and was able to maintain its minimal lead to the end."

Erik Zabel added: "Together with Fabio Sabatini I tried to close the gap to the leaders.  Unfortunately their lead was too big.  We did everything we could, but this time our tactics just didn't work."

Team Milram's Christian Knees - whose role it was to support the team's two sprinter aces concluded:  "I could support Erik and Alessandro up to the last climb.  It was a very difficult race today, and especially the new climb Le Manie cost a lot of strength.  Unfortunately we couldn't be involved in the finale as we had planned.  After such a strenuous day of such an extremely long race, that is naturally disappointing."

March 22, 2008: Milan-San Remo (298 km):
1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC       07:14:35
2 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Liquigas                                             0.04
3 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Française des Jeux                                     
4 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner                                            
5 Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre                                                 
6 Anthony Geslin (Fra) Bouygues Telecom                                         
7 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale                                      
8 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank                                          0.05
9 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole                                            
10 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC                                             
11 Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli   
12 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Barloworld                                           
13 Raffaele Illiano (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli    0.08
14 Inigo Landaluze Intxaurraga (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi                     0.11
15 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas                                          0.12
16 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre                                            0.13
17 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram                                              0.14
18 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Team Milram                                        
19 Baden Cooke (Aus) Barloworld                                                 
20 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone                          
21 Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale                                     0.15
22 Enrico Rossi (Ita) NGC Medical - OTC Industria Porte                         
23 Ariel Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) CSF Group Navigare                           
24 Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Bouygues Telecom                                
25 Julian Dean (NZl) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30                       
26 Aitor Galdos Alonso (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi                                
27 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                                         
28 Manuele Mori (Ita) Saunier Duval - Scott                                     
29 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step                                               0.16
30 Arnaud Labbe (Fra) Bouygues Telecom                                          
31 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems                                   
32 Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz) Crédit Agricole                                        
33 Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) LPR Brakes                                         
34 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                                
35 Angel Gomez (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott                                   0.17
36 Roger Hammond (GBr) Team High Road                                           
37 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi                                 
38 Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                          0.18
39 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC                                                 
40 Matti Breschel (Den) Team CSC                                                
41 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Rabobank                                  
42 George Hincapie (USA) Team High Road                                         
43 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems                                     
44 Sebastiaan Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank                                       0.19
45 Gabriele Missaglia (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli     
46 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Barloworld                                        
47 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner                                            
48 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Silence - Lotto                                   0.20
49 José Serpa (Col) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli             
50 Tiziano dall'Antonia (Ita) CSF Group Navigare                             0.21
51 Patrick Calcagni (Swi) Barloworld                                            
52 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC                                                 
53 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence - Lotto                                      
54 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner                                         
55 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne                                      
56 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Quick Step                                        0.22
57 Emanuele Sella (Ita) CSF Group Navigare                                   0.23
58 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes                                              
59 Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                                     
60 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone                  0.24
61 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step                                              
62 Andrea Moletta (Ita) Gerolsteiner                                         0.25
63 Francisco Javier Vila Errandonea (Spa) Lampre                                
64 Daniele Nardello (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli       
65 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Team Milram                                          0.28
66 Przemyslaw Niemec (Pol) Miche - Silvercross                               0.47
67 Paolo Bailetti (Ita) LPR Brakes                                           0.48
68 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli        1.21
69 Matteo Priamo (Ita) CSF Group Navigare                                       
70 Carlo Scognamiglio (Ita) Barloworld                                          
71 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Crédit Agricole                                    
72 Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                                  
73 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Team CSC                                          1.28
74 Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) Française des Jeux                                1.29
75 Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukr) AG2R La Mondiale                                     1.38
76 Aurélien Passeron (Fra) Saunier Duval - Scott                             1.46
77 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone                 2.04
78 Marco Velo (Ita) Team Milram                                              2.05
79 Alberto Ongarato (Ita) Team Milram                                           
80 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Silence - Lotto                                          
81 Pedro Horrillo Munoz (Spa) Rabobank                                          
82 Andrea Tonti (Ita) Quick Step                                                
83 José Alberto Benítez (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott                          2.06
84 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                          
85 Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                                    
86 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team High Road                                         
87 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) LPR Brakes                                            
88 Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone                  2.07
89 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team CSC                                             2.08
90 René Mandri (Est) AG2R La Mondiale                                        2.23
91 Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) Française des Jeux                                 3.31
92 Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank                                            5.42
93 Marc De Maar (Ned) Rabobank                                                  
94 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram                                            
95 Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas                                               
96 Murilo Fischer (Bra) Liquigas                                             5.43
97 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas                                              
98 Massimo Giunti (Ita) Miche - Silvercross                                     
99 David Millar (GBr) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30                      
100 Vincent Jérôme (Fra) Bouygues Telecom                                    5.44
101 Niklas Axelsson (Swe) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli       
102 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step                                           5.46
103 Renaud Dion (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                                       5.59
104 Javier Aramendia Lorente (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi                       6.11
105 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Lampre                                               6.12
106 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team High Road                                            
107 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team High Road                                         
108 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone                   6.13
109 Eddy Serri (Ita) Miche - Silvercross                                     6.14
110 Ermanno Capelli (Ita) Saunier Duval - Scott                              7.15
111 Massimiliano Maisto (Ita) NGC Medical - OTC Industria Porte                 
112 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step                               7.16
113 Alan Pérez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi                                        
114 Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank                                                 
115 Luis Felipe Laverde Jimenez (Col) CSF Group Navigare                        
116 Eric Berthou (Fra) Crédit Agricole                                       7.17
117 Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Liquigas                                         
118 Michael Albasini (Swi) Liquigas                                             
119 Jairo Hernandez (Col) Barloworld                                            
120 Leif Hoste (Bel) Silence - Lotto                                         7.18
121 Piergiorgio Camussa (Ita) NGC Medical - OTC Industria Porte             11.22
122 Giairo Ermeti (Ita) LPR Brakes                                              
123 Riccardo Chiarini (Ita) LPR Brakes                                          
124 William Frischkorn (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30               
125 Filippo Savini (Ita) CSF Group Navigare                                     
126 Stefano Usai (Ita) Miche - Silvercross                                      
127 Raivis Belohvosciks (Lat) Saunier Duval - Scott                         12.35
128 Peter Wrolich (Aut) Gerolsteiner                                            
129 Andreas Klier (Ger) Team High Road                                          
130 Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner                                            
131 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner                                        
132 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre                                               
133 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence - Lotto                                    
134 Nikita Eskov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems                                   
135 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Silence - Lotto                                    
136 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank                                             
137 Pasquale Muto (Ita) Miche - Silvercross                                     
138 Rony Martias (Fra) Bouygues Telecom                                         
139 Nikolai Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems                                 
140 Tristan Valentin (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone                    
141 Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld                                              
142 Giampaolo Cheula (Ita) Barloworld                                           
143 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi                          
144 Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi                             
145 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram                                         15.50
146 Krzysztof Szczawinski (Pol) Miche - Silvercross                             
147 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Crédit Agricole                                         
148 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Crédit Agricole                                         
149 Tom Stubbe (Bel) Française des Jeux                                         
150 Donato Cannone (Ita) NGC Medical - OTC Industria Porte                      
151 Raffaele Ferrara (Ita) LPR Brakes                                           
152 Roberto Ferrari (Ita) LPR Brakes                                            
153 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Saunier Duval - Scott                                   
154 Claudio Corioni (Ita) Liquigas

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