As reported Ivan Basso signed a contract with US based team Discovery Channel. After Basso's signing with Discovery was confirmed by
the team and 7 times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong yesterday, team manager Johan Bruyneel gave a reaction to Belgian
daily sports sportwereld.be: "Juridical we have a strong position", Bruyneel said. The Discovery manager is not affraid of
angry reaction from the UCI or someone else: "On which basis do they want to do that."
Bruyneel was laughing yesterday, saying: "We have spend some time on it, four specialized lawyers have
thoroughly scrutinized the case. One Italian, one French, one Swiss and one Spanish lawyer. Their conclusion was clear:
Nothing stands in Discovery's way to offer Ivan Basso a contract. Furthermore the sponsor was standing behind it. Than you
should not have anymore doubts. I am statisfied with the decision that we have made. Look , on one hand you have
the words and alphabetic characters in the media and on the other hand you have the official reality. The case is evident
and clear: the case is closed! Not on basis of the letter of the Spanish court that their information can not be used
for disciplinary action. The Italian Olympic committee studied the whole dossier of more than 500 pages and concluded that there is no proof against Basso."
Possibly this years winner of the Giro d'Italia could be asked to remove the last doubts by submitting a DNA sample, something
Basso refused until now. Bruyneel said: "Could be, as a sign of good will. But without shouting it from the rooftops.
Did you ever experience that somebody who is officially cleared had to proof his innocence? To avoid speculation? There will
always be (speculation, Cyclingheroes), i am not having any illusions about that. Isn't Lance Armstrong the best example?
Tuesday i heard that in france a preliminary investigation against Lance in France was closed without consequenses. I for
myself, nor Lance knew that the investigation existed since January last year but according to the ethical code he actually
would not have been allowed to start at his last Tour (Tour de France, Cyclingheroes). You see, the idea of such a code
is fine. Only you can go so many different ways with handling it. Two years ago i refused to send Pavel Padrnos home because
he was mentioned in an Italian doping affair. The race jury of the Tour and the race organisation pushed heavily. In the end
the man was cleared. Now imagine that i would have send him home, the consequenses would have been immense and that
was just Padernos."
Basso
Ivan Basso spoke with Italian daily sports Gazzetta dello Sport about his move to Discovery: It is an ideal squad.
I am happy," Basso said.l "It is not an exaggeration for me to say that this is the start of a new life, because I feel reborn."
Basso confirmed that he wants to try the double. Basso would be the first rider since Marco Pantani has won the Tour de
France and the Giro d'Italia in one single year. "The group (the Discovery team) is ready to give total support to the
Giro d'Italia-Tour de France double," Basso said. "It is a project that gives me lots of enthusiasm. The team and I have the
same ambitions."
Basso concluded by saying: "Now I am taking a week's vacation at the beach and where it is warm. Then I will
think of 2007".
