2008 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré France, June 8-15 Dauphiné Libéré Official Website  here Start List here (Provisional, .pdf) (Evans, Popovych, Leipheimer, Brajkovic, Horner, Rubiera, Valverde, Pereiro, Zubeldia, Sanchez, Hushovd, Halgand, Dessel, Goubert, Gesink, Flecha, Chavanel, Moncoutie, Khol, Casar, Bruseghin, Rogers, Hincapie, Beltran, Sastre, Sorensen, Gomez Marchante.) 2008 Dauphiné Libéré live video coverage will be available on cycling.tv as part of the Premium, Silver and Gold Packages.  Eurosport live coverage looks to be limited to select stages.  More information tomorrow.

2008 Giro d'Italia champion Alberto Contador (Astana) on the podium after yesterday's final Stage 21
photo Copyright © 2008 Fotoreporter Sirotti for cyclingfans.com

Editorial Isolated Alberto Contador again overcomes adversity Apparently there is no stopping Alberto Contador.  A cerebral hemorrhage didn't stop him in 2004, not for long anyway.  Since that scary event, the list of races that he has won has grown in impressive fashion, most notably with the 2007 Tour de France and now the 2008 Giro d'Italia.  Contador is without question the best stage racer in the world today. As the 2008 pro cycling season got underway, things looked bleak for Contador's Astana team.  With the news that the team would not be invited to the 2008 Tour de France (thus denying Contador a chance to defend his 2007 title) or to the Giro d'Italia, or to any other races owned by the organizers of the two biggest "Grand Tours," Astana would have a tough time finding races at which to gain significant media exposure for its sponsors.  The team was isolated, a victim of past doping practices by the previous incarnation of the team and of the political battles between Tour organizer A.S.O. and the UCI, the sport's governing body. Have Tour Champion, Will Travel The unsurprising news in April that Astana would receive an invitation to the 2008 Vuelta a Espana didn't do much to brighten the prospects for the season.  The sponsors hadn't signed up for just a shot at Vuelta glory. The unexpected last-minute invitation to the Giro d'Italia, however, changed everything.  Though winning the Giro wasn't a given, especially with team members arriving in non-optimal condition, a team featuring Andreas Kloden, fresh off his victory in the Tour de Romandie, Levi Leipheimer and Contador surely would find ways to stand out as the world's media covered the second biggest Grand Tour of the year.  All three riders had stood on the final podium of the Tour de France afterall.  Indeed, just showing up got the media's attention from day one.  Astana was still isolated but the meaning, in Italy anyway, changed from "shunned" to "media darling".  Contador certainly was the media darling in Italy even before one turn of the pedals. As if he needs adversity to motivate himself, Contador fractured his elbow in Stage 8 but vowed to fight on.  Though Astana worked hard to control the race, Contador inevitably found himself isolated late in mountain stages, without teammates.  His rivals attacked but he didn't crack.  And so the 2007 Tour champion is now the 2008 Giro champion.  If he targets the Vuelta a Espana in September, as originally planned, who can beat him? Organizers of the Tours of Italy and Spain, as well as of smaller races everywhere, welcome today's greatest stage racer.  Latest word is that Tour de France organizer A.S.O. will not. Now who's isolated? -Pete Geyer www.cyclingfans.com

2008 Giro d'Italia: Champion Alberto Contador kisses trophy on podium Copyright © 2008 Fotoreporter Sirotti Close-up of Alberto Contador's Giro victory trophy Copyright © 2008 Fotoreporter Sirotti With the news early in 2008 that they would not be invited to the Tours of France or Italy, an isolated Astana Pro Cycling Team was in search of quality races to compete in. Copyright © 2008 Pete Geyer/cyclingfans.com (file photo: 2006 Paris-Tours) 2008 Giro d'Italia, Stage 21: Marco Pinotti (Team High Road) won yesterday's final time trial Copyright © 2008 Fotoreporter Sirotti

2008 Giro d'Italia, the final podium: Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre, third), Alberto Contador (Astana, first) and
Riccardo Ricco (Saunier Duval, second) with podium girls
photo Copyright © 2008 Fotoreporter Sirotti for cyclingfans.com

Below is our Guide to Live Coverage of Stage 21 of the 2008 Giro d'Italia

2008 Giro d'Italia: Emanuele Sella attacked on the Passo del Mortirolo and won
yesterday's stage 20.  It was his third stage win of the race.
photo Copyright © 2008 Fotoreporter Sirotti for cyclingfans.com


2008 Giro d'Italia: Alberto Contador (in pink) and the peloton on the Gavia Pass during yesterday's Stage 20
photo Copyright © 2008 Fotoreporter Sirotti for cyclingfans.com

---

2008 Giro d'Italia:  Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes) attacked on the descent of the Passo del Vivione
in yesterday's Stage 19 and on an epic day pulled to within 21 seconds of race
leader Alberto Contador (Astana).
photo Copyright © 2008 Fotoreporter Sirotti for cyclingfans.com

After Di Luca, it was Riccardo Ricco's (Saunier Duval) turn to attack, on the Monte Pora.
Ricco pulled to within just 4 seconds of the race lead.
photo Copyright © 2008 Fotoreporter Sirotti for cyclingfans.com


2008 Giro d'Italia: Astana's Andreas Kloden leads the chase as the pink jersey of Alberto Contador is under assault in the mountains.  Bad weather and daring attacks made for an epic day in yesterday's Stage 19.
photo Copyright © 2008 Fotoreporter Sirotti for cyclingfans.com