Italian cyclist Ivan Basso has been ruled out of the Tour de
France halfway through the competition after being diagnosed with testicular
cancer.
The 37-year-old,
who races for Russian-owned Tinkoff-Saxo as a teammate of former champion
Alberto Contador, announced his withdrawal during an emotional press conference
on Monday, shortly after receiving the diagnosis from a doctor.
"For a few
days I felt a small pain," he said in Pau, France, the site of the tour's
first rest day. "Yesterday our doctor spoke with the doctor of the Tour and
we decided to go to make a special analysis to the hospital."
"The
examination gave me bad news; I have a small cancer in the left testicle,"
he said.
Team doctor Piet De Moor confirmed the diagnosis.
"On stage
five of the Tour de France, Basso suffered from a minor crash in which his left
testicle was slightly injured," he said via a statement on the team's
website.
"As the
pain persisted, a lump was discovered and following further examination on
Monday morning at the hospital in Pau, the presence of a tumor was
confirmed."
Teammate
Contador was visibly emotional at Basso's side during the press conference.
"We never
imagined such a thing would happen," Contador said. "Ivan's health is
the absolute priority and he has to undergo all the necessary tests to find the
best solution. I'd like to stress that the entire team will give its best in
order to get the yellow jersey and enjoy it in Paris with him."
Well wishers
flooded Twitter with messages of support for Basso, most notably cylcing stars
including testicular cancer survivors Markel Irizar and Lance Armstrong -- who
famously conquered the disease at age 25, despite catching it in its third
stage.
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