Giro d'Italia champion Ivan Basso will go on the attack this spring with the objective of winning ahead of the Tour de France.
"I don't intend on arriving at the Tour empty handed," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I have to try to bring home something beforehand."
Italy's Basso won the Giro d'Italia last year, but will likely skip it this year to focus on winning the Tour de France in July. He twice finished on the podium of the Tour de France, 2004 and 2005. His team-mate, Vincenzo Nibali will instead lead the Liquigas-Cannondale team at the Giro d'Italia.
In Argentina, Basso started his season at the Tour de San Luis stage race. He finished the seven-day race 47th overall, 21 minutes and 48 seconds behind winner Chilean Marco Arriagada.
"There were around 1200 kilometres of quality riding, I reached my goal. I made a deal with [Sports Director] Stefano Zanatta to race with intelligence, never going truly deep," he said.
"In the last stage, I pulled for 60 kilometres at 170 beats per minute, which is a medium-high average. In the 19.5-kilometre time trial, I had an average of 183 with a top end of 190. In an effort of 24 minutes, with temperatures always above 40°C, those numbers show a fresh cardiac system. I went with a threshold test, 5.8 watt/kg – I think I took good step forward here."
The next steps? Time on the track at Montichiari on Monday, January 31, to work on his time trial position. Three days later, he will leave for the Spanish island of Tenerife with Nibali. They will train at altitude there until February 15.
"But my methods will be different with respect to last year," he said. "In 2010, I created the base for the Giro there, this time the goal is to be competitive already in March and April."
Basso returns to race the one-day races: Trofeo Laigueglia on February 19, GP Insubria on February 26 and GP Lugano on February 27. In March and April, he races of series of stage races and his intention is to win. Instead of Italy's Tirreno-Adriatico, he will race Paris-Nice, March 6 to 13, Volta a Catalunya, March 21 to 27 and País Vasco, April 4 to 9.
"At Paris-Nice I will start to breathe in the Tour's air and I can take advantage of the occasion to go and preview some key stages," added Basso. "Catalunya? There is a time trial and a mountaintop finish at Andorra. I like it. I will go to win. Then to make a strong showing at País Vasco.
"Watch, between these races, I will bring something home."