Team CSC and Basso part ways
Basso to leave his Danish cycling team
ROME (AP) -Giro d'Italia champion Ivan Basso left the Danish CSC team on Wednesday with two years remaining on his contract.
Basso was excluded from this year's Tour de France after being implicated in a Spanish doping investigation. He was one of nine riders to appear on a list of cyclists who allegedly had contact with a Spanish doctor accused of running a blood-doping clinic in Madrid.
"After all that has happened, especially this summer, Team CSC and Ivan Basso have agreed to part ways,'' CSC manager Bjarne Riis manager said in a statement. "It has been a very difficult decision, but both parties agree it is time to move on.''
"I'm not lacking offers,'' Basso told an Italian radio station. "I'm calm right now and I'm going to have a tranquil winter. Then I'll start training for next season. I haven't decided on my schedule in detail yet. No matter what though - the Giro and Tour will remain my top goals.''
The Italian Olympic Committee recommended last week that doping allegations against Basso be dropped. Basso has always denied doping allegations.
Basso was contracted with CSC until 2008. Riis and Basso met last week in Lugano, Switzerland, to discuss the rider's future.
"We would like to take this opportunity to thank Ivan for his time with the team and for the great results he and the team have achieved together,'' the CSC statement said. "At the same time, we wish him all the best for the future.''
Basso told French sports daily L'Equipe on Monday that he has been courted by Discovery Channel, the former team of seven-time Tour champion Lance Armstrong.
"They made me a concrete proposal, but I am open to other solutions,'' said Basso, adding that there was also a chance he could join an Italian team.
Discovery Channel manager Johan Bruyneel confirmed his team's interest in Basso. Bruyneel has been looking for a replacement for Armstrong since he retired in 2005 after his Tour win.
Basso finished third in the 2004 Tour and runner-up the next year. He was one a handful of riders who could challenge Armstrong in the mountains. No Discovery rider finished higher than 17th overall in this year's Tour.
"It's not new to anybody that I've been interested in Basso for a long time,'' Bruyneel told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "I have tried to get him a few times, but it has not worked out.''
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