Team CSC's Ivan Basso's 49-year-old mother Nives has died on Thursday morning from stomach cancer, according to a report in Procycling. Nives Basso had been suffering from the disease for the last nine months, spending the last two months in a specialised treatment centre in Siena. "I apologise to everyone who knows me and everyone who would like to speak to me," Basso said to Procycling. "I would like to call all of the people who love me, too - and fortunately for me there are a lot of them - but I just can't do it. I hope that everyone understands what we are going through at this time."
Basso's team said in a statement, "All Team CSC riders and staff would like to express their heartfelt condolences to Ivan Basso and his family following the death of Nives Basso. The funeral takes place today in San Pietro, Cassano Manago. Our thoughts go out to our teammate and we would ask for respect and understanding in order to protect the family's privacy during this difficult time."
