Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Doimo) marked the start of his season in the Italian enclave Campione d'Italia yesterday, only a few kilometres from his home in Cassano Magnago, at the GP Insubria.
"Tutto OK," Basso wrote on his Twitter. "It was the first race. Very fast and demanding, but I felt well."
The GP Insubria and today's GP Lugano were originally not on Basso's schedule, instead, he was supposed to start 23 days later at the Vuelta a Catalunya.
"My training was going well and, besides, these races are only 20 kilometres from where I live," Basso told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "It would have been ridiculous not to race them. Insubria and Lugano are two high-intensity training days for me, and this is important."
Basso rode with the front group all day while the escape group of five with John-Lee Augustyn (Sky) rode in front. He then followed several attacks on the final circuit, just missing the 11-man move with World Champion Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) and Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale).
"It was fast, very fast," continued Evans. "It was a good start, with a nervous and hard finish. I was able to stay with the front riders, I was not looking for anything in else, just to race."
Roche finished third to winner Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis) and Evans took fifth. Basso finished 26" back with a group of 16.
Basso had a close inspection of Australian Evans, who he will face at the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France later this year.
"He is going well. They don't give the rainbow jersey out to anyone."