Just how good is Ivan Basso (photo by Graham Watson)?Given Basso's brilliant Giro d'Italia performance with just three stages remaining, CSC team manager Bjarne Riis, a former Tour de France winner, makes this assessment: " Basso is clearly the strongest rider this year in the Giro. Basso is at the level you see at the Tour de France, and it´s obvious the others are not."
Of Basso's second Giro victory in Stage 16, Riis said:
"What Ivan did out there today will most likely pass over into history as one of the great stage wins in the Giro. He proved that he's the strongest rider in the Giro and probably one of the greatest riders in the sport at the moment."
I would point to the 8th stage as the moment in history when Basso declared himself. That's when he rode away from Damiano Cunego, Gilberto Simoni and Paolo Savodelli. Barring a disaster, the Giro belongs to Basso.
How many times in the past have said that about Our Boy Lance?
And what will we be saying in July?
History awaits the answer.
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