Basso plans to be a player on the peaks
As the mountains of the Tour de France appear on the horizon, Italy's Ivan Basso is emerging as one of the dark horses of this year's race behind favorites Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich. Basso, who is 28th overall, just 1:17 behind the sixth-placed Armstrong after Tuesday's ninth stage, finished seventh last year, won the best young rider competition in 2002 and has the consistency needed to do well in the grueling three-week race. He has often been criticized for riding conservatively, but after moving to CSC this year he has promised he will go on the attack in search of a stage win