23rd Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali (2008) March 25-29th

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Stage 1:  a) Riccione (circuits), 95.2km b) Misano (TTT), 11.8km   Full Results and Report

Lampre at the front of the circuits in Riccione	Surprise, surpise a sprint finish	Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas winds up the victory salute a little early for my liking. Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Lampre looks across with thoughts of pipping him at the line.
1st Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas completes the 95.2km circuit race in 2.04.17 (43.062 km/h)		Francesco Chicchi in the blue race leader's jersey
Chicchi was still smiling when part two of stage 1 (the cronosquadre) started in the afternoon after the morning circuit race	Cadel Evans	Stefano Garzelli
Liquigas won the 11.8 team time-trial in 13.01 (54.39 km/h) to keep Chicchi in the blue leader's jersey	Acqua Sapone - Caffe Mokambo was second, two seconds back of the best time	Tinkoff Credit Systems was third, three seconds back of the winning time
Astana was 4th, eight seconds back	Silence - Lotto was fifth, nine seconds back	Liquigas caps a great day...
Two stages wins in one day at the same event

Stage 2:  Castel San Pietro Terme - Faenza, 175.6km  Full Results and Report

The start in Castel San Pietro Terme	Liquigas at the front
Big splits in the peloton as it rolls along at 60 kph in the strong tailwind.		Matthew Lloyd (Aus) of Silence - Lotto rolls off the front...
... helping to setup the winning break containing Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems, Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas, Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua Sapone - Caffe Mokambo and Emanuele Sella (Ita) CSF Group Navigare	Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto and Manuel Beltran Martinez (Spa) Liquigas also made it across	Meanwhile, the race leader Francesco Chicchi (Liquigas) is back in the main field.
Niklas Axelsson (Swe) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli goes clear of the 12 man break with 1500 metres to the line in Faenza.	Powering away	1st Niklas Axelsson (Swe) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli. 176 km in 4.08.04 (42.272 km/h
	The rest of the break crossing in Faenza	2nd Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua Sapone - Caffe Mokambo @ 0.09
Race leader Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas doesn't seem to upset to cross in 115th, 15+ minutes back		Niklas Axelsson is congratulated by his Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli teammates who are just finishing
		Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua Sapone - Caffe Mokambo takes over the race lead

Stage 3:  Scandiano - Pavullo, 199.4km  Full Results and Report

A chilly overcast start in Scandiano	Gilberto Simoni sets tempo with a break up the road	Acqua Sapone-Caffe Mokambo leading the chase over Monte Barigazzo with 50k remaining
A cold day in the saddle
Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas launches an attack	Axelsson, Garzelli and Evans attempt to follow	Axelsson goes to the front
		The last climb comes down to Niklas Axelsson (Diquigiovanni), Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto), Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) and Stefano Garzelli (Acqua Sapone-Caffe Mokambo)
Evans attacks	No one can go with him	The move comes with 9k remaining to the mountain-top finish in Valico di Gaiato,
Evans puts his head and In short time he has a good gap		Garzelli leads the chase as he sees his race lead slip away
	Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas would lose 1.22 over the final 9k and finished third	The aggressive move pays off for someone not known for his attacks
Time to celebrate a great win		1st Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto. 199k in 5.10.50 (37.061 km/h)
	Clearly, the cold and huge attack has taken its toll on the winner.	2nd Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua Sapone - Caffe Mokambo @ 0.32 ...
... not good enough to keep the leader's jersey	An eye popping performance by Cadel Evans
	Garzelli congratulates the day's big winner	"Dinner is on me!"
Evans would keep the leader's jersey for the remainder of the race

Stage 4:  Rio Saliceto - Finale Emilia, 184.4km  Full Results and Report

Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas pre-stage 5		Race leader,Cadel Evans, pre-stage 5
Evans protected by his teammates	Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas once again wastes no time winding up his victory salute	Someone should teach him a lesson; the battle for 2nd takes place under Chicchi's wings.
And there goes Chicchi still celebrating	He doesn't have four wins so the fingers must identify the stage?
Stage 4 podium: L-to-R; 2 Mattia Gavazzi (Ita) Preti Mangimi , 1 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas, 3 Robert Forster (Ger) Gerolsteiner	Cadel Evans keeps his 23 second lead heading into the last day

Stage 5:  Castellarano - Sassuolo, 169.1km  Full Results and Report

Race leader, Cadel Evans gets a wheel change
Silence-Lotto setting the pace for their team and race leader...	... Cadel Evans
On the uphill finish, Stefano Garzelli attacks while hoping to make back the 17 seconds he needs on Evans	Evans is still there
5th overall @2.06, Emanuele Sella (Ita) CSF Group Navigare rolled off the front with several km to go	He checks the gap...	... before pulling out his victory salute
1st Emanuele Sella (Ita) CSF Group Navigare. 169 km in 4.17.15 (39,440 km/h)
		The Final GC Podium: L-to-R: 2nd Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua Sapone - Caffe Mokambo @ 0.17, 1st Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto 20.19.18, 3rd 3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas @ 1.15