Stefano Zanini announced his retirement from pro cycling after 17 seasons. The rider opted to end his career after recent accidents and the lack of a contract extension with his Predictor-Lotto team for 2008. The 38 year-old has previously ridden for Gewiss -Bianchi, Mapei and Liquigas and logged 30 career victories.
In 1996, he became the first Italian to win the Amstel Gold Race. He also counts the 1995 Milano-Torino, and the final stage of the 2000 Tour de France and two Giro d'Italia stage wins (1994, 2001) among his palmares.