TNT Sports
Basso's big build-up
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Published 22/04/2005 at 14:30 GMT+1
If Ivan Basso's been quiet so far in the Ardennes classics, blame it on the rain. Sunday's Liège-Bastogne-Liège should be no different. Basso won't risk a crash if it means jeopardising his chances on the Tour of Italy. "Basso is banking everything on the
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"Sunday, if the weather's good, he'll try something, otherwise, he won't take any risks," Gallopin told us on Friday.
And once again, team-mate Jens Voigt could be the one grabbing the attention following on from the German's escape that was reeled in four kilometres from the finish of Wednesday's Fleche Wallonne.
Mind you, Basso won't be alone in playing it safe. The same goes for reigning Giro champion Damiano Cunego who also rides in Sunday's Doyenne.
The difference is that while Cunego also intends to ride in his first Tour de France in July, he's not going for the victory in both.
"I'm going to the start of the Giro to try and win because you can't ride in your national tour without ambition. Then, I'll have the same ambition on the Tour de France but I'm not in a position to say if I'll be competitive from the beginning of May to the end of July," Basso recently told Reuters.
"I've sized up the magnitude of the challenge and that's why I haven't gone all out in all races this season," said the 27-year old who finished third in last year's Tour.
"Yes it's ambitious of course, but I can tell you that he's concentrating fully on the Giro," said Gallopin who added that Basso will have the likes of Andrea Peron, Giovanni Lombardi, and David Zabriskie to help him in his quest.
"He passed on the early season races, he's not a rider for the world championships, so he's attempting the double. In the past champions like Hinault, Fignon, and Indurain all tried the double," added Gallopin.
So what does that say about Lance Armstrong, whose sole major race before retiring will be the Tour?
"Armstrong has already won six Tours de France. Give him credit for trying it a seventh time. Regarding his decision, I respect the champion that he is."
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