Basso signs for 3-years to CSC

whiteboytrash

Italy's Ivan Basso has agreed to stay with his CSC team for another three years, team manager Bjarne Riis said on Monday. Basso is second on the Tour de France, two minutes and 46 seconds behind Lance Armstrong and has been tipped by the six-times champion as the rider most likely to succeed him.


The news coincided with information technology company CSC announcing they would extend their sponsorship of the team until the end of 2008.
"Ivan Basso has also signed for three more years and will be our team leader in future editions of the Tour de France," Riis told reporters at a news conference on the second rest day of the Tour.

"From being a talent and someone who constantly made the top 10 in many of the big races, he is now the future of cycling for the next couple of years.

"Ivan has never made a secret of the fact, that he likes being on our team, and that means a lot to us all," the 1996 Tour winner added.

"With us he has the full support and a team, where he fits in well as a person. In Ivan we have a rider, who can one day win the Tour de France."

Basso, 27, finished third on the 2004 Tour and won two stages of the Giro d'Italia earlier this year. He has been the only rider capable of staying with Armstrong in the mountains during this year's Tour and has vastly improved in time trials.

Talking about CSC's continued sponsorship, Riis said: "I see this sponsorship as the natural progression of the team and will give us the foundation to improve in the future and be competitive in the most important races such as the Tour de France and the ProTour competition."

The three-week Tour de France ends in Paris on Sunday

rule62

The information technology company CSC announced today that the only frikkin way that they would continue their cycling team sponsorship was if Ivan Basso were included. As such, both CSC and Basso have agreed to a 3-year deal.

Commenting on the developments, team manager Bjarne Riis added, "It's no secret that we are riding for next year's Tour. Lot's of teams are. But at CSC we have taken the concept to a whole new level."

gntlmn

They need to brainwash Zabriskie so that he doesn't go for the short run glory and instead supports the team leader. Otherwise, he'll continue to be a one day wonder, and the team will suffer.

mareblu

Ivan will be very fun to watch next year at the Tour- He may win it! He's got what it takes, and he's got a good team; definitely a great candidate for TDF 2006

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mr tibbs

if he climbs this way next year he'll be my pick. the only place he's vulnerable is time trialing, and he's so strong in the hills this year that tt's won't even be an issue!

but don't count out any of the spanish mountain goats or maybe even valverde. oh! i'm getting excited for it already and it's still more than a year away. imagine a tour whose outcome is in jeopardy after the first day...

whiteboytrash

Should make for a good Tour... Basso strong in the mountains but weaker in the TT's, Ullrich strong in the TT and weaker in the mountains, Vino attacking everywhere he can, flats, mountains, hairpin bends...... will make for a very exciting Tour..... I wish this one would just hurry up and end.

tcklyde

I think CSC is making a pretty good investment.

So, teams for the future:

Cunego on Lampre
Valverde on Illes Balears
Basso on CSC
Rogers on T-Mobile
Popo on Disco

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Harry

mareblu

ha ha ha, don't worry I am too getting all excited for Ivan for next year. I am sure he will be training harder for time trialing so he can swept them away......ciao

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MJtje

I think it will also be boring........maybe not as LA has done the last 7 years (not that I found it boring ). Still Basso is next above everyone else........and he will keep improving.......let's wait and see this years last TT! Then we can see if his giro TT were a fluke.....or he really has improved!

mareblu

GO BASSO GO!!!!!
did you se emy banner? cool uh?

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musette

Procycling:

"Johan Bruyneel appeared surprised and unnerved when journalists passed on the news of Basso’s new deal during a Discovery Channel press conference in Pau yesterday.... “That’s too bad for us,” said Bruyneel on hearing the news.
As Lance Armstrong’s manager and, along with Armstrong, one of six co-owners of Tailwind Sports, the company that owns the Discovery Channel team, Bill Stapleton had more reason than most to regret Basso’s decision. Stapleton told procycling in Mourenx this morning that he was “very disappointed but wishes Ivan all the best with CSC”. Asked whether Discovery Channel had been conducting negotiations with Basso last week, Stapleton declined to comment."

JDM

How much will Basso be payed? Anybody know?