Italian yet to decide on whether to continue career following cancer surgery
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Ivan Basso (Tinkoff-Saxo)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Ivan Basso adjusts his bike after crashing(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Ivan Basso and Oleg Tinkov(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Ivan Basso greets his former teammate and stage 4 winner Davide Formolo(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Paolo Tiralongo and Ivan Basso at the start(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Ivan Basso will return to training next week after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his testicle, but the Italian has yet to decide if he will continue with his professional career.
Basso was forced to abandon the Tour de France on the second rest day in Pau after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The Tinkoff-Saxo rider returned to Italy that evening and underwent surgery two days later in Milan. A month on from the operation, Basso is now ready to begin riding again.
“It’s all going very well and I’m really very happy to be able to say that from the 17th [Monday], I’ll even be able to get back on the bike,” Basso told Tuttobici. “That for me is a tangible sign of recovery.”
Basso joined Tinkoff-Saxo on a two-year contract at the beginning of this season in the wake of the disbandment of Roberto Amadio’s Cannondale squad, where he had spent six years following his return from suspension in October 2008.
The 37-year-old was part of the core of riders at Tinkoff-Saxo who joined Alberto Contador in his attempt at the Giro d’Italia-Tour double this season, helping the Spaniard to overall victory in the corsa rosa. Basso has yet to decide whether to continue racing in 2017.
“My future? I need to be patient, I have to look at a lot of things and reflect. I’m talking about it with my wife, Micaela and with the team. I want to do things properly and above all I want to do the right thing for my health,” Basso said. “Like I said, getting back on the bike is already a beautiful thing in itself. For me, the bike is life. It’s health. It’s happiness. It’s everything.
“For the moment, it’s going well, but as for [a decision on] the future, a bit of patience is required. Maybe after one or two rides on my Specialized I’ll have a clearer idea: the bike has always inspired me a lot.”
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Basso is due to hold a press conference in Livigno on Monday morning to discuss his return to the saddle.
