Italian cyclist Ivan Basso's first race appearance in a Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team jersey will be at the Tour of California, where he'll ride against former teammates on Team CSC.

Basso, who once again is aiming to win the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in the same year, hinted that he'll ride the Tour of California (February 18-25) in support of another Discovery team newcomer, American Levi Leipheimer.

You can be sure that all eyes will be on the 29-year-old from the opening prologue in San Francisco to the finish in Long Beach to determine his level of fitness and how well he gets along with his new team ....   more »