Ivan Basso receives all clear after cancer treatment

Ivan Basso, winner of the 2006 and 2010 Giro d'Italia, will not have to undergo further treatment for the testicular cancer that doctors found during the Tour de France in July.

The Italian's Tinkoff-Saxo team posted the news yesterday on Twitter following another control.

Basso, 37, quit the Tour on the first rest day in Pau after doctors discovered a cancerous tumour in his left testicle. He first noticed something strange following a crash in the fifth stage to Amiens, five days earlier.

In Milan, he had successful surgery to remove the tumour and numerous follow-up controls. Yesterday's showed that he would not need extra treatment and gave him the green light to return to competition if he wishes.

The team's Twitter post read, "Fabulous news on @ivanbasso! Results from final controls show no need for extra treatment. The dark period that started at @letour is over"

Basso rode for the first time 32 days after the surgery on August 17. His racing career, however, may be over. He has one more year in his contract with the Russian/Danish team of Oleg Tinkov, which he could finish by coaching his former teammates.

"I don't know if I'll return to race, if I'll be in the peloton next year or not," Basso told La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper last month.

"I spoke with Cadel Evans, he told me what George Hincapie said to him. 'You have to ask yourself, apart from more money, what one more year of cycling will give you?' I haven't found the response yet."

The Varese native began his professional career in 1999, won the Giro twice and placed second in the Tour in 2005. He also served a doping ban stemming from the Operación Puerto scandal.

Basso said that he would be interested in coaching and already spent time with Tinkoff sports directors, Steven De Jongh and Sean Yates. He joined the two in three races during the last week in Belgium and France.

A decision on Basso's future will likely come before the team's camp in December, but what is certain for now is that his "dark period" is behind him.