43rd Tirreno-Adriatico route announced

By Gregor Brown

RCS Sport has announced the parcours of the 43rd edition of the Corsa dei Due Mari, Tirreno-Adriatico. The race, organised by the same company that handles the Giro d'Italia and Milano-Sanremo, will consist of seven stages as it travels from west to east across Italy March 12 - 18.

The 2008 edition of the race will follow the traditional parcours, going from Mar Tirreno to Mar Adriatico, clocking 1123 kilometres along the way. Tirreno-Adriatico – won in 2007 by Andreas Klöden – offers an alternative to those not riding in the Paris-Nice, March 9 to 16, and a 'warm-up' to the Milano-Sanremo, March 22. Overall, it is a race that respects the riders' early season form, with stages for sprinters and all-arounders.

Stage one kicks off in Civitavecchia and the finale is the traditional lungomare sprint stage in San Benedetto del Tronto. The organisers included an individual time trial for the third year in a row on stage five, previously the 'race of truth' had been absent from the event for some time. This year's test will run 26 kilometres from Macerata to Recanati.

Full stage details and the much anticipated list of invited teams will be revealed on February 21 in Civitavecchia (Lazio)