Basso's Bravado

The 27-year-old Italian was irresistible on Thursday, dictating the Giro's Stage 11 board meeting with Donald Trump-like ruthlessness.

Basso exposed a degree of confidence and aggression hitherto contrary to his cycling nature. Indeed, at last year's Tour de France -- where the CSC rider finished third overall -- Basso was critically tweaked for an occasional lack of gumption.

He seemed content to coattail in the regal shadow of Lance Armstrong, unaware -- or unbelieving -- of his ability to legitimately play for the overall yellow-jersey prize.

That passiveness, however, vanished Thursday on the Giro's Passo Duran climb.

"I'm particularly happy with the way I raced," Basso said at Thursday's stage finish in Zoldo Alto. "At the Tour de France, I was always in the wheel of Armstrong. Here, I attacked and controlled the situation with little regard for my rivals."

Basso's acceleration (which eventually relegated 2004 Giro winner Damino Cunego to a deficit of more than 6 min at the stage's end) was enthralling. It was the performance of a true "patron" -- and one that arguably went one better than his mentor, Lance Armstrong.

The American's attacking philosophy is a corporate effort; the entirety of the U.S. Postal (now Discovery Channel) team assembles a kamikaze train at the base of big climbs with each rider committing Hara-kiri, dutifully launching into oxygen-debt pulls until the pack is in shreds and Armstrong can finally wheedle off the front.

It's a tactic that works -- six times so far for the overall win at the Tour de France -- but it's also a tactic Basso didn't need at the Giro on Thursday.

The Italian didn't lean on any team CSC shoulders on the Giro d'Italia's 11th stage, personally taking the race's reigns to stomp the field and usurp the race's overall pink jersey.

"The Giro is still long," Basso nonetheless said, sounding a pseudo cautiousness reminiscent of Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France.

"But now, the race's cards are on the table," the Italian added, his smile suggesting that his are all aces.