Team CSC have announced their final nine riders for the Tour de France; these are: Ivan Basso, Carlos Sastre, Bobby Julich, Jens Voigt, Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Giovanni Lombardi, Nicki Sørensen, David Zabriskie, and Luke Roberts. Luke Roberts joins the squad at the expense of Jakob Piil, who failed to find winning form after an injury-plagued spring. With the selection, Riis and Team CSC signal their intent to back up Ivan Basso’s attempt at the Tour throne 100%. Unlike Piil, who would have had a freer hand to go stage-hunting, Luke Roberts will be along for the sole purpose of helping Basso win his first Grand Tour.

The statements made by the various members of the team have all been positive. Ivan Basso, in a recent BBC feature promised that this year’s Tour would see him attempt to put more pressure on Lance Armstrong than he was capable of last year. Jens Voigt commented that the goal this year was to put Armstrong in trouble, and said that the team was 100% behind Basso. Voigt who, together with Piil, was among the most aggressive riders of last year’s Tour de France also said that he would be looking to rein in his attacks this years, to put himself more fully at the service of his captain.

Regarding the team captain himself, he has kept a low profile, racing in Eindhoven in the Team Time Trial (were CSC came third), but failing to show at the Italian ITT as originally announced. All reports, however, state that Basso’s preparations are going well, and while the mainstream Cycling Press appear almost dismissive of Basso’s chances in the shadows of the big Lance vs Jan rivalry, we may hope that Basso comes through with a great performance to rival last year, and takes the final step up to the top of the podium.

While most of Ivan Basso’s main rivals have been testing their legs in the Dauphine Libere or are currently riding up and down the Swiss alps, Ivan Basso has been having a quiet period. First, taking a few days of rest after the Giro (though he rode two criterium races in the days right after the Giro), and then going into training camp in preparation for the Tour de France along with Kurt Asle Arvesen, Jakob Piil and David Zabriskie. Only interrupted by a quick visit to Denmark for the premiere of “Overcoming”, the training camp has been focused towards the preparation for the Tour.

With the training camp ended, Ivan Basso (along with others of the expected Tour de France line up) will ride the Team Chrono time trial in the ProTour this sunday (though CSC downplays their chances in the event, nominating it primarily as a training ride), before he returns to Italy were he will attempt to capture the Italian National Championship in Time Trialling next friday.

In press appearances, Basso claims that he has been feeling good after the Giro, and notes that it was very important for him to have achieved success in the Giro after his illness. He feels fresh, and believes that he has a lot of power left for the Tour.

Tómas Gislasons film about Team CSC, Overcoming, will premiere this June in selected cinemas in Denmark. The film goes close to Team CSC in the 2004 season, and studies the vision and the values that have helped build Team CSC into one of the world’s best Cycling teams today. Starring the entire Team CSC, the movie poster headlines Bjarne Riis as well as the “Captains” of CSC for the 2004 season: Ivan Basso, Carlos Sastre, and Michele Bartoli.

The movie website can be found here: Overcoming.dk
Direct link to the Overcoming Promotional Trailer (English Subtitles).