Basso: Back in the thick of the Italian action

Ivan Basso had a surprise doping control on Friday, one day before Milano-Sanremo, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. Otherwise things are going fine for the Italian, as he reports in the Cyclingnews diary.

I hope you enjoyed Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico. They were great races this year due to the level of competition. While the Spaniards were battling in France, the Italians were fighting hard in Italy.

My fifth place overall was a good test as I build for the Giro d'Italia. You know from reading my last diary entry that I was able to work very little due to me banging my knee in the Tour of California. When I got home I had four days of rest and the other days it was just an hour and a half to two and a half hours of training.

I think my condition is getting there, based upon Tirreno. I was able to battle everyday in a race that was full of great riders.

Read the entire diary entry.