Basso looks to win Tour de France in 2011

Ivan Basso is aiming to win the Tour de France in 2011, even though he knows it won't be an easy task. “My intention is to win the Tour, but that is sought by many riders and so it is hard to achieve.”

Having won the Giro d'Italia twice, most recently in this year, he is now turning his concentration to France. "I still need to win the Tour de France after being second and third, and I have two years to get it,” the 32-year-old told the Spanish newspaper La Nueva Espana. Basso was second in the Tour in 2005 and third in 2004. He did not ride the Tour again until this year, when he finished 32nd.

Basso believes the course will suit for in 2011, saying it, "has great mountain stages and few time trial miles. It will be as hard as ever and I can't talk about one or two rivals because everyone is there at their best.”

Basso served a two-year suspension for his involvement in Operacion Puerto, which he called “bad history and you can not always think the worst. In life you have to look forward to doing your best. I showed that I could win the Giro with maximum transparency to the public and fans. "

He sympathized with another rider facing doping charges, Alberto Contador. “Alberto is my friend and I hope the issue is resolved quickly and in a good way for him.”

Basso rode the recent Vuelta a Chihuahua Criterium in Mexico, and will next take on the Criterium de Oviedo in Spain. After then, he “will take 20 days of vacation and then start slowly cycling and working out in the gym to achieve fitness.”