Ivan Basso: "Never Ever Fear"
by CHRISTIAN GIORDANO
exclusive interview, August 17, 2015
LIVIGNO (Sondrio) - A dull crash in the fifth stage of the Tour de France, a common hit right there, against the saddle. It happens to the riders. Still, the pain does not go away. After nine stages, the Tour takes his first rest-day. In Pau there is a world-class urology department, Ivan Basso is asked to undergo a check-up. Then, another one. A malignant tumor in the left testicle – that’s the diagnosis. It is July 13, the surgery was performed on July 15 at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, by Professor Francesco Montorsi’s team. On August 17, in his Livigno, the 37 year-old Saxo-Tinkoff rider back on his bike. And he rides too.
- Thirty-six days, I counted them all. What about your feelings?
"Very good because in the past few days my convalescence has improved a lot. They (the doctors, e.d.) gave me the OK to ride and this is already an important signal; not to train, but get back on a bike means that health is good. And this is an important step forward. "
- The other important step forward will be the first of September.
"Yes, on September 1 we will control, with TACE with markers. And this is a major crossroads for the disease. We hope everything is going well but there are signs why it should be so. Confident is the professor (Montorsi, ed), I am confident. And this is a bit 'scenario that we expect in a few weeks. "
- You say, and tweet, "I always smile. Your wife Micaela says "even settle this." It is settled?
"Yes, I immediately tried to keep the smile and not think that something really bad could happen. I was lucky because this disease take time, be operated immediately and also the scenario post-operation immediately positive, so this definitely helped a lot also being able to maintain this optimism. But the attitude and the affection of the people was then what made the difference with the operation and care of course. "
- On November 26, will be 38, you still have a year of contract and the full confidence of the Saxo-Tinkoff. Today you made just a ride, then you begin to train. Your future?
"The future will decide in the coming weeks, because right now the ability to get back pedaling is obviously an important step forward, however, in assessing the competitive future must take into account what has been the last time, for me, before disease and obviously what the disease can leave. Depending on these assessments and with great honesty, mainly with myself and with my team, with my fans, I will decide what is the best thing. Be back in the bike I can help you make the right decision and this will happen in the coming weeks. "
- You are a runner beloved by the people. You were and you are a great champion, you made two podiums in the Tour have won two Tours of Italy; 45 days at altitude may have been too many, you say, but you are satisfied with your performance in this first half of the season?
"I can not be satisfied because my expectation was surely to be more present in the final race. But what lifts me from this lack of performance is that it has always given as the maximum commitment and then very often happens that an athlete collects and invests much less than you expect. This professional loyalty is not only perceived by my companions but from all and my loyal fans. This obviously gives me great confidence, but the bike races need to be done in another way. In my assessment for the future is also my performance in the last period, it should be definitely taken into account for the decision of what can be my future. What is certain is that the bike will still part of my future. What you can not miss a sportsman who for years has lived with adrenaline, with the competition, this is a must. A decision will be peaceful and honest, from all points of view. And I'm happy to be able to get healthy, then pedaling. The bike has always helped me to take the right decisions, in good times and even in the less beautiful that I went through in my career. It will happen this time too. "
- You talked about bikes and cycling that are your life, your "family" as you called it. So, thinking beyond your possible future by runner, you will see how in cycling? Do you see yourself as sports director in flagship? As?
"I do not know, I do not know ... It is an assessment that I want to take it easy. It should not run too. In recent weeks there have been scenarios that have changed too quickly, from the tour to visit you in the hospital for treatment. You should not take the risk of taking hasty decisions and not with a lucidity that instead in these cases, when in your life, there is a major change, you have to be polished and sure of what you do, because then there is no margin return. So I want to take it on its own, then decide and I'm lucky because I have a full support by the Saxo-Tinkoff, our great leader (Oleg) Tinkov, the administrator (Stephen) Feltrin ", the companions, the staff. So I have a consensus by all and the freedom to decide the best thing. I do it calmly and with all the serenity as possible. "
- You were in a group, how did you live the Tour from inside? What do you think of those doubts have been - perhaps unfairly - raised on Chris Froome?
"I tried to see the Tour as a sportsman and as a fan and not be critical and especially not a criticism not constructive but destructive in my opinion is not needed, in cycling, mainly because there was no motivation to do it. Froome has built winning the Tour in the first part, then the second was very good to administer the benefit. Stage races last three weeks, some are regular, who is better in the first part, who comes in second. This is part of the beauty of cycling, the uncertainty that may leave a big race. For me it was a very nice tour, with all samples that have struggled. All the top riders were at the start were very good at fighting fi not last and you saw that in any case until the last mountain stage there has been not say uncertainty over the winner, but there was a lot of competition and this made the tour very nice. "
- La Vuelta?
"In recent weeks I have not followed closely, however, it seems all the stronger runners miss our captain (Alberto) Contador, who has already raced the Giro and Tour, but all the others are there. There will be some who raced the Tour so they will have a better freshness, some have made the Tour, will always be a struggle between them. I am always the same, no? So it's difficult to predict a favorite because the strongest coming from the tour, some have a greater freshness but it's a race that will be among those four, five names usual ".
- You are a professional since '99, you went through all the recent times of cycling: is this really changed cycling?
"Cycling is a sport that has invested more in the fight against doping, by the institutions to get right inside the teams, then cycling has sought to regain credibility with the facts and shows the affection that people give to cyclists on the roads. I do not see less, indeed, I see more and more ".
- Aldo Sassi said: "Never fear."
"Never fear."
LIVIGNO (Sondrio) - A dull crash in the fifth stage of the Tour de France, a common hit right there, against the saddle. It happens to the riders. Still, the pain does not go away. After nine stages, the Tour takes his first rest-day. In Pau there is a world-class urology department, Ivan Basso is asked to undergo a check-up. Then, another one. A malignant tumor in the left testicle – that’s the diagnosis. It is July 13, the surgery was performed on July 15 at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, by Professor Francesco Montorsi’s team. On August 17, in his Livigno, the 37 year-old Saxo-Tinkoff rider back on his bike. And he rides too.
- Thirty-six days, I counted them all. What about your feelings?
"Very good because in the past few days my convalescence has improved a lot. They (the doctors, e.d.) gave me the OK to ride and this is already an important signal; not to train, but get back on a bike means that health is good. And this is an important step forward. "
- The other important step forward will be the first of September.
"Yes, on September 1 we will control, with TACE with markers. And this is a major crossroads for the disease. We hope everything is going well but there are signs why it should be so. Confident is the professor (Montorsi, ed), I am confident. And this is a bit 'scenario that we expect in a few weeks. "
- You say, and tweet, "I always smile. Your wife Micaela says "even settle this." It is settled?
"Yes, I immediately tried to keep the smile and not think that something really bad could happen. I was lucky because this disease take time, be operated immediately and also the scenario post-operation immediately positive, so this definitely helped a lot also being able to maintain this optimism. But the attitude and the affection of the people was then what made the difference with the operation and care of course. "
- On November 26, will be 38, you still have a year of contract and the full confidence of the Saxo-Tinkoff. Today you made just a ride, then you begin to train. Your future?
"The future will decide in the coming weeks, because right now the ability to get back pedaling is obviously an important step forward, however, in assessing the competitive future must take into account what has been the last time, for me, before disease and obviously what the disease can leave. Depending on these assessments and with great honesty, mainly with myself and with my team, with my fans, I will decide what is the best thing. Be back in the bike I can help you make the right decision and this will happen in the coming weeks. "
- You are a runner beloved by the people. You were and you are a great champion, you made two podiums in the Tour have won two Tours of Italy; 45 days at altitude may have been too many, you say, but you are satisfied with your performance in this first half of the season?
"I can not be satisfied because my expectation was surely to be more present in the final race. But what lifts me from this lack of performance is that it has always given as the maximum commitment and then very often happens that an athlete collects and invests much less than you expect. This professional loyalty is not only perceived by my companions but from all and my loyal fans. This obviously gives me great confidence, but the bike races need to be done in another way. In my assessment for the future is also my performance in the last period, it should be definitely taken into account for the decision of what can be my future. What is certain is that the bike will still part of my future. What you can not miss a sportsman who for years has lived with adrenaline, with the competition, this is a must. A decision will be peaceful and honest, from all points of view. And I'm happy to be able to get healthy, then pedaling. The bike has always helped me to take the right decisions, in good times and even in the less beautiful that I went through in my career. It will happen this time too. "
- You talked about bikes and cycling that are your life, your "family" as you called it. So, thinking beyond your possible future by runner, you will see how in cycling? Do you see yourself as sports director in flagship? As?
"I do not know, I do not know ... It is an assessment that I want to take it easy. It should not run too. In recent weeks there have been scenarios that have changed too quickly, from the tour to visit you in the hospital for treatment. You should not take the risk of taking hasty decisions and not with a lucidity that instead in these cases, when in your life, there is a major change, you have to be polished and sure of what you do, because then there is no margin return. So I want to take it on its own, then decide and I'm lucky because I have a full support by the Saxo-Tinkoff, our great leader (Oleg) Tinkov, the administrator (Stephen) Feltrin ", the companions, the staff. So I have a consensus by all and the freedom to decide the best thing. I do it calmly and with all the serenity as possible. "
- You were in a group, how did you live the Tour from inside? What do you think of those doubts have been - perhaps unfairly - raised on Chris Froome?
"I tried to see the Tour as a sportsman and as a fan and not be critical and especially not a criticism not constructive but destructive in my opinion is not needed, in cycling, mainly because there was no motivation to do it. Froome has built winning the Tour in the first part, then the second was very good to administer the benefit. Stage races last three weeks, some are regular, who is better in the first part, who comes in second. This is part of the beauty of cycling, the uncertainty that may leave a big race. For me it was a very nice tour, with all samples that have struggled. All the top riders were at the start were very good at fighting fi not last and you saw that in any case until the last mountain stage there has been not say uncertainty over the winner, but there was a lot of competition and this made the tour very nice. "
- La Vuelta?
"In recent weeks I have not followed closely, however, it seems all the stronger runners miss our captain (Alberto) Contador, who has already raced the Giro and Tour, but all the others are there. There will be some who raced the Tour so they will have a better freshness, some have made the Tour, will always be a struggle between them. I am always the same, no? So it's difficult to predict a favorite because the strongest coming from the tour, some have a greater freshness but it's a race that will be among those four, five names usual ".
- You are a professional since '99, you went through all the recent times of cycling: is this really changed cycling?
"Cycling is a sport that has invested more in the fight against doping, by the institutions to get right inside the teams, then cycling has sought to regain credibility with the facts and shows the affection that people give to cyclists on the roads. I do not see less, indeed, I see more and more ".
- Aldo Sassi said: "Never fear."
"Never fear."
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