Ivan Basso will kick off the 2014 season, his 16th consecutive as a professional cyclist, next Sunday at the Gran Premio dello Costa Etruschi, as the 36-year old Cannondale rider aims to make the first step towards his main objective of the year – the Giro d’Italia.

Even though Basso was recently the shadow of his former self, lacking the long-suffering he was once famous for and ability to maintain the top disposition and composure which provided him with victories at the Giro d’Italia in 2006 and 2010, Italian champion claims to be excited and well motivated to begin the new season with some high expectations.

Last year, Basso has experienced only few glimpses of the disposition which could anyhow relate to the form he has shown during the most successful seasons of his career, particularly at the Tour the Pologne finished ninth in the general classification and at the Vuelta a Espana, where he climbed well on Alto de Penas Blancas and Hazallanas before the cold Pyrenean rain forced him to abandon utterly disappointed. Thus, the 36-year old Italian is aware how much it takes to perform on a competitive level again and confessed that he has undergone a long and thorough preparation period during last winter-break.

“After a long preparation period and with a positive attitude, I feel a strong desire to compete, even if my most important goals seem to be very remote,” Basso said

“The first race of the season resembles the first day in the classroom, you are ready to learn and eager to do your job. We have a strong squad and I’m determined to help my team in achieving the best possible results.”

Starting the new season on Sunday at GP Costa degli Etruschi, Basso will be supported by his Cannondale team-mates in the likes of Kristijan Koren, Alan Marangoni, Juraj Sagan, Cristiano Salerno, Davide Villella, Michel Koch and Davide Formolo.

The former Giro d’Italia champion is hoping to kick-off his season strongly in the unpredictable Italian race to provide himself and the team with a necessary boost of confidence, and is fully backed by the Cannondale sports director Mario Scirea in those cravings.

"The Gran Premio dello Costa Etruschi has a very unpredictable route," confirms sports director Mario Scirea

"We have the opportunity to animate the race and control the happenings on the tactical side. I expect the whole team to perform strongly. Coming into the season with a satisfying result should serve as a confidence booster for the whole year, especially for our young riders."

The racing schedule of Ivan Basso for the first part of the 2014 season is well defined and it consists of: GP Costa degli Etruschi, Trofeo Laigueglia, GP Lugano, París-Nice, Tour of Taiwan, Volta a Catalunya, Giro del Trentino, Tour de Romandie and Giro d’Italia.