Italian Ivan Basso is preparing Tour de France, his next objective after winning the Giro d'Italia last month. Basso is training at altitude this week at San Pellegrino following a reconnaissance trip to see the Alpine stages.
"Early to bed," Basso said yesterday on Twitter, "the Tour is near."
Friday, Basso's wife and children joined him in San Pellegrino, perched 2000 metres up in the Dolomites. He travelled their Wednesday after a drive over the boarder Monday into France with Liquigas-Doimo team-mate Roman Kreuziger to see stage eight and nine of the Tour de France.
He arrived in Mieussy at 17:00, changed clothes in the car and then rode. He covered the last 50 kilometres of stage eight (July 11), taking in the Col de la Ramaz and the finish above Morzine, to Avoriaz (13.6km at 6.1%). He reached the top at 20:00.
Tuesday, he was up at 7:00, woke up Kreuziger and then started riding at 8:30. From Cluses, he rode the four climbs to the finish of stage nine in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne: the Colombière, the Aravis, the Saisies and the Madeleine. He reached the finish after five hours and 30 minutes of riding and 3800 metres of climbing.
"Winning the Giro for the second time after a two-year suspension brought me full circle. Now I am really happy," Basso told La Gazzetta dello Sport's journalist who followed him.
"Looking back, the Tour has given me so much. From 2001 to 2005, I only raced the Tour. Now, I have the desire to return and do something magical. I do not know if you can see it in my eyes, but I have an incredible enthusiasm. It is as if the season is starting now."
Basso finished third overall in 2004 and second overall in 2005, both times behind Lance Armstrong. He returned to France for the start of the race in 2006, but his CSC team sent him home before the race begun when his ties to Operación Puerto became to strong to ignore.
This year will be the first time back to the Tour de France since 2005 for Basso.
"I could enjoy my Giro d'Italia win and go on vacation, returning in 2011, but I feel I must go to the Tour and to try to win. I want to do well at all costs because the Tour is in my heart."
Basso faces two-time winner Alberto Contador (Astana), last year's runner up, Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) and his old nemesis, Armstrong (RadioShack).
"For a few years I can still race at a high-level at the Giro and the Tour. Armstrong is the only one who can finish on the podium at 38 years old. So, my time is precious.
"This mountaintop finish to Morzine-Avoriaz is very important, the first one of the Tour de France. The first mountaintop is always important at the Tour and the Giro. I already know these mountains, but it was important to come and see them for two days with Roman.
"Can he be the Vincenzo Nibali of the Tour? Yes, I think so. Anyway, we have respect for each other. Roman and Vincenzo will dominate the Grand Tours in the coming years.
"I am ready for this Tour de France. At the Giro, I found the taste ride ahead solo, pulling away from the world champion [Cadel Evans]. Now, I'm curious to see if the Ivan of Zoncolan and of Mortirolo can stay with Contador, and maybe put him in difficulty."