October 18/06 11:17 am - Ivan Basso To Leave Team CSC

Posted by Editor on 10/18/06
 

Ivan Basso To Leave Team CSC

Team CSC has announced on their website that Ivan Basso will be leaving the team, effective immediately. The CSC announcement reads:

Team CSC and Ivan Basso have decided to terminate their contract by mutual agreement.

"After all that has happened, especially this summer, Team CSC and Ivan Basso have agreed to part ways. It has been a very difficult decision, but both parties agree it is time to move on. 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. At the same time, we wish him all the best for the future," says Bjarne Riis.

Basso was implicated in the Operacion Puerto investigation by Spanish authorities earlier in the year concerning an ongoing doping program. Team CSC immediately suspended Basso, and he was not able to race in the Tour de France, where he was one of the pre-race favourites.

The Italian Olympic Committee announced last week that they were dropping their investigation of Basso (see Daily News: October 12/06 1:00 pm EDT - CONI Says Drop Basso Case), paving the way for him to begin racing again.

Basso has stated in interviews that he has been in contact with a number of ProTour squads, including Discovery and Milram.