Bartoli to decide on comeback soon

By Gregor Brown

Michele Bartoli will decide on his comeback to professional cycling in the coming month. The 38-year-old Italian from Pisa retired from cycling in 2004 and announced his desire to race again last month.

"I am training with the idea of returning. ... I like the challenge of the comeback. If I return it will be for fun, not to recreate my career – it happened and no one can take it away," Bartoli said to Cyclingnews.

Bartoli won the 1996 Ronde van Vlaanderen, 1997 and 1998 editions of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, plus the 2002 and 2003 editions of the Giro di Lombardia. He raced for 13 years as a professional.

"My condition is reasonable. I can not say I am not the same as before, but I am not far off. We need to see how I progress."

He is training with current professional riders. Ivan Basso visited Bartoli over the holidays and the two trained together. Bartoli will also often go out training with neighbours Alessandro Petacchi, Fabio Sabatini and Manuele Mori.

Like Lance Armstrong in his comeback, Bartoli put his name in the International Cycling Union's Anti-Doping Administrative Management System (ADAMS). Bartoli has talked with officials and he indicated he will not be subject to the six-month advance notice requirement.

Bartoli has talked to four or five teams. He said that some of the teams are ProTour level and some are Professional Continental level.