Ivan Basso, fresh off of his second Giro d'Italia overall victory, isn't taking any time to rest on his laurels. The next goal for the Liquigas rider will be the Tour de France, and he's not going there "just to be involved."
Basso followed: "Of course I will not go to the Tour just to participate. I want to compete with the best. Contador, the winner in 2009, is in great shape. I have improved though, and the Tour is a big challenge for me. I think I can do well.
Basso is hoping to pull off the elusive Double, that which is often spoken of, but rarely achieved. The odds are of course against Ivan Basso in this endeavour. The Giro/Tour Double has not been achieved since 1998, when the tragic hero, Marco Pantani, first took the Giro, then followed that success with a crushing blow to Jan Ullrich in July.
Numerous riders have tried, and failed, to go for the double since then. Denis Menchov was the latest colossal flop in 2009. He won a hard fought Giro in May, but rode abysmally in the Grand Boucle in July. The list of failures runs long.
Looking back, two riders seemed to have good chances at the Double over the past 12 years: Ivan Basso and Alberto Contador. Ivan Basso was the hot favorite along with Jan Ullrich going into the Tour de France in 2006. Of course, that endeavour came to a bitter end when Operacion Puerto broke out on the eve of the Tour de France. Two years of racing and two years of suspension later, Ivan Basso stands atop the same podium with the same hopes.
Basso has one giant name between him and the Tour de France's top step though: Alberto Contador. Contador is already owner of a Double, just not the Giro/Tour. He took the Giro and Vuelta in 2008 after his Astana team was not invited to the Tour de France. Contador has already made it known that he wishes to target the Giro in 2011, which would make him a prime candidate for the Giro/Tour Double next year.
The Giro/Tour Double is an almost mystical achievement in this age of specialization, an achievement that many say is impossible. For a few riders, it seems within the realm of reason, especially if one's name is Contador, or a Lance Armstrong at his best. Unfortunately for Basso, he'll run into Alberto Contador at the height of his powers in a month's time.
Looking back to his first success at the Giro four years ago, a success which Gilberto Simoni characterized as a 'supernatural' performance, Basso appears a changed man. Standing atop the podium with his two children, and referring to his wife, Micaela, who is expecting their third shortly, Basso said: "We suffered together, and now we can celebrate together. It was a tough Giro, and so the victory is much greater than in 2006, because it was a spectacular race. I have to thank my team who have been fantastic all the way."
Looking beyond Pantani's 1998 Double, the names who have pulled off the Giro/Tour feat are some of the most legendary in the sport's history: Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Stephen Roche and Miguel Indurain.