Ivan Basso goes for his first official ride since his cancer surgery (Image credit: Twitter / Radsport)
Ivan Basso (Tinkoff-Saxo)(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
The 2010 Giro winner Ivan Basso after the final day time trial(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Ivan Basso (Tinkoff-Saxo)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Ivan Basso and Oleg Tinkov(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Ivan Basso has ridden his bike for the first time since undergoing surgery for testicular cancer but has said that he has still to decide if he will return to racing as a professional with Tinkoff-Saxo.
Basso was diagnosed with testicular cancer during the Tour de France as an indirect result of a minor crash on stage 5 to Amiens, in which he injured his left testicle. When the pain persisted, examination by the Tinkoff-Saxo medical staff revealed a lump in his testicle. Basso was taken to hospital in Pau on the first rest day for further tests, which confirmed that the lump was cancerous. He underwent surgery in Italy just over a month ago, with doctors confirming an early diagnosis and treatment had helped his prognosis.
Basso went for a short ride with his son Santiago around Livigno, where numerous Italians rider train at altitude during the summer. In a special press conference before the ride, Basso joked about having taken a 'long holiday' off the bike and revealed he faces an important medical check-up on September 1st.
"I'm happy to be able to start riding again today I don't know if I'll race again or if I'll be in the peloton next year. But the bike is a way of life, it's good for you and it makes people happy. Cycling is not only about racing," Basso said, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
Basso is expected to stay in Livigno for a few days before returning home to Cassano Magnago near Milan to decide his future.
"On the first of September I've got an important check-up. It's not a routine visit but very specific. Professor Montorsi and his team has done an excellent job and we're very optimistic for the future," he said.
"In the last ten days during a family holiday I've discovered how nice it is to reflect on things. My future will definitely be in cycling but I don't know in what way. I've got to thank the Tinkoff-Saxo team for their support in my fight against cancer and even riding my bike again is a success. My bike is part of my family and so any decision about the future will be made after lots of thought and consideration."
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Stephen is one of the most experienced members of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. Before becoming Editor-at-large, he was Head of News at Cyclingnews. He has previously worked for Shift Active Media, Reuters and Cycling Weekly. He is a member of the Board of the Association Internationale des Journalistes du Cyclisme (AIJC).
