Posts Tagged ‘Ivan Basso’
Basso readies for Tour de France
June 18th, 2010
Giro d’Italia champ Ivan Basso will race this weekend ahead of a run at the Tour de France next month.
Basso will click into the pedals for the first time since winning the Giro during this weekend’s GP Nobili Rubinetterie in a pair of road races.
“There are just two weeks until the Tour de France and after a training period in the mountains, I felt the need to return to competition,” Basso said. “The GP Nobili Rubinetterie offers two beautiful and challenging courses that help in my objective of refining my condition before the Italian championships and the Tour de France.”
The Italian recently completed a high-altitude training camp at Passo San Pellegrino. Hot off winning the Giro in dramatic fashion, Basso says he’s confident ahead of his next major goals.
“The sensations were good during training,” Basso said. “Winning the pink jersey also gives me great confidence to take on the Tour with maximum physical and mental condition.”
Basso, 32, has said he will take aim for the Tour podium in what will be his first appearance in the French grand tour since he finished second in 2005.
Basso was among nine riders forced out ahead of the 2006 Tour after links to the Operación Puerto doping scandal were leaked to the media. Basso later admitted his role and served a two-year ban.
The last rider to win the Giro and Tour in the same year was Marco Pantani in 1998.
The Tour de Pologne Meets Yhe Giro d’Italia
June 9th, 2010
Krakow, like Verona, as the final milepost in the Polish stage race
June 9th, 2010 – The Tour de Pologne salutes the Giro d’Italia. The Tour de Pologne delegation, made up of the Lang Team organizing staff together with the deputy mayor of Krakow Elzbieta Lecznarowicz, visited the pink race during its final time trial stage in Verona on Sunday, May 30th. Krakow is on par with Verona, which hosted the final finish line for the 2010 Giro. The Polish city will host the 7th and final stage in the 2010 Tour de Pologne on Saturday, August 7th, on the 140.3 km route from Nowy Targ to Krakow. This is an important showcase for this city which lies on the banks of the Vistola. This longstanding ancient capital of the country is still a major tourist and cultural centre in Poland.
“I was very impressed with the atmosphere at the Giro d’Italia – explains Ms. Elzbieta Lecznarowicz-. With the way in which the city welcomed the pink race, and especially by the warmth of the crowd at the Giro. I’m sure that Krakow and the Polish fans will reserve the same enthusiasm for the Tour de Pologne. Our municipal administration is working very hard, in close association with the staff at Lang Team, so that Krakow will represent a great final showcase for the 2010 edition of this Polish cycling race.”
In the spectacular setting of the Arena of Verona, Ms. Lecznarowicz and the Tour de Pologne staff got to meet many important guests, including the two World Champions Paolo Bettini and Francesco Moser as well as the two Polish riders in force on the Liquigas Doimo juggernaut, Sylvester Szmyd and Maciej Bodnar. These two men were an important force behind the pink jersey worn by Ivan Basso; they worked hard to contribute to the victory of their Team Liquigas Doimo in the Giro d’Italia. They serve as an important testimonial to the rise in professional Polish riders and the cycling movement in Poland. Liquigas Doimo has also confirmed itself as the force to be reckoned with in the Tour de Pologne and they’ll be lining up their best and brightest.
L’actu du 8 juin
June 8th, 2010
Cyclisme – TDF – Basso en reconnaissance
June 8th, 2010
Cervélo TestTeam says no Tour decision yet for Carlos Sastre
June 7th, 2010
Agence France Presse
Cervélo TestTeam late Monday said the team management is undecided whether Carlos Sastre will start the Tour de France this year.
“Medical analysis is now underway and Sastre is currently awaiting the results,” a team statement read. “Of course we are hoping that Carlos can ride the Tour de France, but his health is still our first priority,” said Joop Alberda general manager.
“For a three-week Tour, a rider must be in top shape and we will definitively take no risk on the health of the athlete. We have to wait for the green light from our medical staff.”
The final results of Sastre’s medical analysis will be known later this week. At that time, the team will announce the pre selection for the 2010 Tour de France.
Sastre had earlier indicated he was not planning to race the Tour de France, having just completed a near-disastrous Giro d’Italia. He suffered three crashes before finishing in eighth place overall behind champion Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Doimo).
Sastre is not scheduled to race any events, including the Spanish national championships on June 27.
Sastre’s Tour de France Fate To Be Known Later In The Week
June 7th, 2010
PARIS, June 7, 2010 (AFP) – Cervelo Test team said that a decision on whether 2008 Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre races in this year’s renewal will be made later this week, it announced on Monday.
The 35-year-old Spaniard had looked to be a certain starter earlier on Monday but a statement issued later cast some doubt as to whether he would be selected for the July 3-25 race.
Sastre was not planning to race the Tour de France, having just completed a near disastrous Giro d’Italia. He suffered three crashes before finishing in eighth place overall behind champion Ivan Basso.
He has undergone medical tests by the team and the results will not be known until later this week when they will then announce their starting line-up.
“Of course we are hoping that Carlos can ride the Tour de France, but his health is still our first priority,” said Joop Alberda, the team’s General Manager said.
“For a three-week Tour, a rider must be in top shape and we will definitely take no risk on the health of the athlete. We have to wait for the green light from our medical staff.”
Sastre is not scheduled to race any events, including the Spanish national championships on June 27.
Fellow Spaniard Alberto Contador, of Astana, will start as this year’s yellow jersey favourite after his second career victory last year.
CORSE STF: Show dello junior Luca Chirico nel Gran Premio dell’Arno
June 6th, 2010
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Count Basso Among My Tour Rivals, Says Contador
June 6th, 2010
Written by: Justin Davis
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France, June 5, 2010 – Reigning Tour de France champion Alberto Contador will count Ivan Basso among his biggest challengers this year after the Italian’s impressive victory in the Giro d’Italia.
Basso finally exorcised the ghosts of a career-threatening doping ban last month when he captured his second pink jersey from the Giro to put himself back among cycling’s stage racing elite.
The Italian then admitted, however, that his redemption would not be fully complete until he competes at the Tour de France, from which he was ejected before the start in 2006 due to suspected doping.
Although Basso’s exertions in what was a demanding three-week Giro could hinder his hopes of really challenging in the Tour, Contador said he would not rule the Italian out.
And the Spaniard, who made history in 2008 when he added the Giro d’Italia and Tour of Spain titles to his 2007 Tour de France yellow jersey, hinted he was considering attempting the rare double of the Giro/Tour in 2011.
“For me Basso is a great champion who has real qualities as a cyclist – whether he’d won the Giro or not,” the Spaniard said on Saturday a day ahead of the first stage of the Dauphine Libere stage race.
“I certainly won’t be ruling him out of being among my big challengers this year.”
Asked if he would start next year’s Italian epic, Contador – who won the race in 2008 despite having to cut short his holidays at the last minute after an SOS call by his team – gave a wry smile which suggested it is in his plans, if the course is to his liking.
“There’s a chance I’ll start the Giro in 2011, it’s a beautiful race. I liked it in 2008, it really felt like home to me,” he said.
“But right now I can’t confirm whether I’ll start.”
Another of Contador’s big rivals at the Tour this year will be seven-time champion Lance Armstrong, who finished third last year at over five minutes behind the Spaniard as Andy Schleck took a deserved runner-up spot.
Armstrong, who only returned to the sport last year following a three-year hiatus, has endured several mishaps this season – principally a crash in the Tour of California.
Only days after Armstrong faced down damaging allegations of doping from former teammate Floyd Landis, his team manager at RadioShack Johan Bruyneel admitted the 38-year-old Texan was struggling for form.
However Contador believes Armstrong, who is currently honing his own race form at the Tour of Luxembourg, will be ready when it comes to the race in July.
“I’ve been following the progress of all my rivals, but come the Tour de France I’m sure Lance will be ready,” said Contador.
“He has a lot of experience, and above all he knows himself very well and how to find the kind of condition that is needed to be competitive at the Tour.”
Story Provided by: AFP
Contador calls Basso ‘great champion,’ Tour contender
June 5th, 2010
Agence France Presse
Reigning Tour de France champion Alberto Contador will count Ivan Basso among his biggest challengers this year after the Italian’s impressive victory in the Giro d’Italia.
Basso finally exorcised the ghosts of a career-threatening doping ban last month when he captured his second pink jersey from the Giro to put himself back among cycling’s stage racing elite.
The Italian then admitted, however, that his redemption would not be fully complete until he competes at the Tour de France, from which he was ejected before the start in 2006 due to suspected doping.
Although Basso’s exertions in what was a demanding three-week Giro could hinder his hopes of really challenging in the Tour, Contador said he would not rule the Italian out.
And the Spaniard, who made history in 2008 when he added the Giro and Vuelta a España titles to his 2007 Tour de France yellow jersey, hinted he was considering attempting the rare double of the Giro/Tour in 2011.
“For me Basso is a great champion who has real qualities as a cyclist — whether he’d won the Giro or not,” the Spaniard said on Saturday a day ahead of the first stage of the Dauphiné Libéré stage race.
“I certainly won’t be ruling him out of being among my big challengers this year.”
Asked if he would start next year’s Italian epic, Contador — who won the race in 2008 despite having to cut short his holidays at the last minute after an SOS call by his team — gave a wry smile which suggested it is in his plans, if the course is to his liking.
“There’s a chance I’ll start the Giro in 2011, it’s a beautiful race. I liked it in 2008, it really felt like home to me,” he said. “But right now I can’t confirm whether I’ll start.”
Another of Contador’s big rivals at the Tour this year will be seven-time champion Lance Armstrong, who finished third last year at more than five minutes behind the Spaniard as Andy Schleck took a deserved runner-up spot.
Armstrong, who only returned to the sport last year following a three-year hiatus, has endured several mishaps this season — principally a crash in the Tour of California.
Only days after Armstrong faced down damaging allegations of doping from former teammate Floyd Landis, his team manager at RadioShack, Johan Bruyneel, admitted the 38-year-old Texan was struggling for form.
However, Contador believes Armstrong, who is honing his own race form at the Tour of Luxembourg, will be ready when it comes to the race in July.
“I’ve been following the progress of all my rivals, but come the Tour de France I’m sure Lance will be ready,” said Contador.
“He has a lot of experience, and above all he knows himself very well and how to find the kind of condition that is needed to be competitive at the Tour.”
GIROBIO: Con i Theorema al traguardo di ogni tappa anche il ciclismo è rock
June 5th, 2010
Saturday, June 05, 2010
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