Jens Voigt was close to a marvelous victory at Liege-Bastogne-Liege this sunday, as he finished second in a two-man sprint against Vinokorouv after an almost 60 kms breakaway. Ivan Basso rode smart in the group behind the double V’s, staying up front in the chase group but without doing any work. He finished 18th, and although this is his worst result in L-B-L ever (prior to this year, Basso had never finished outside the Top-10), the result was expected in view of Basso’s plans for the Giro-Tour double.

According to Danish media, Ivan Basso has terminated his working relationship with controversial Doctor Luigi Cecchini.

The official explanation given for the break is that Cecchini also works together with many of Ivan Basso’s major rivals, including Jan Ullrich and Damiano Cunego.

“It is difficult to continue working together when Cecchini also advises Cunego, who will be one of my worst rivals in May”, Basso is reported as saying. “Cecchini understands my decision.”

Bjarne Riis adds that he thinks it is a good decision: ” Cecchini today works with too many of Basso’s rivals, and we are not interested in being beaten by Ullrich, Cunego or whomever because they have been copying our training methods. Cecchini understands that there is a conflict of interest”.

Cecchini will still be working with a few of the other riders at Team CSC.

Today, Ivan Basso held his last press meeting until the beginning of the Giro d’Italia in a few weeks.

“I am really looking forward to both of the big races,” Basso is reported as saying. “I feel strong and confident, and believe I will be able to make a good result. It will be hard to improve on my result in the Tour - after all that would mean I either win it or take second - but I am ready to face the pressure.”

This week Basso has been riding the classics in Netherlands and Belgium, with the Amstel Gold Race, Fleche Wallone, and Liege-Bastogne-Liege on the schedule. However, there is no expectation for absolute top results in these races; all the spring classics have solely served as preparation for the big double attempt. After LBL on sunday, Basso will make his final preparations for the Giro in peace and quiet out of the eye of the press.

Danilo Di Luca won the first stage of the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco monday April 4. A crash during the fight for positions on the way up the Garate led to Ivan Basso and Carlos Sastre hitting the tarmac. Both riders, however, completed the stage. Basso fortunately escaped serious injury; Carlos Sastre broke his elbow. The crash however meant that neither Basso or Sastre would figure in the battle for the GC.

Instead, Basso spent his efforts on behalf of team mate Bobby Julich, working hard for him on the hard stage 2 and neutralizing a dangerous attack by Danilo di Luca on the last stages of the Basque Tour. On the final climb of stage 5a, Di Luca set in a powerful attack that at one point reached twenty seconds, but Basso set a punishing pace to bring the gap down to a few seconds, before dropping off. On the second half-stage, Julich rode a blistering pace to finish second on the stage, and improve to fifth overall. Basso finished 68th overall.

Despite still being some distance from his peak form, Ivan Basso put in an excellent performance at the Criterium International helping his team mate (and spring sensation) Bobby Julich take his second stage race of the year, and managing to take 4th in the GC for himself. On the decisive second stage in the Mountains, Basso along with Thomas Dekker, Bobby Julich and Jörg Jaksche made it into the decisive breakaway. Basso worked hard to control the breakaway for Julich, and thereby helped setup Julich for the decisive time trial on the third stage were Bobby Julich completed the job by winning the stage and the overall.

Ivan Basso’s next race is the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco, but he is not expected to be in sufficient form to win the race, but is rather there to get in the training, as well as to help his in-form teammates Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt.