Basso believes tough opening week will exact a toll at Giro d’Italia

When Ivan Basso last raced the Giro d’Italia in 2012, he was one of the most solicited riders in the peloton, with a troupe of reporters laying siege to his bus at the end of every stage. Out on the road, his Liquigas team raced as though he were the favourite, employing catenaccio tactics at the head of the bunch, and it was deep into the final week before his hopes of victory definitively faded.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan was Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.