Two-time former Giro d’Italia champion Ivan Basso is back on his bike, just a month after successful surgery to remove a cancerous testicular lump.

Tinkoff-Saxo rider Basso announced the shock news of his cancer on the first Tour de France rest day, with the Italian having to abandon the race to go in for surgery.

But after the success of the surgery, the Italian, 37, met reporters and fans in Livigno on Monday morning and then went for an easy ride afterwards.

And while competitive training remains some way off, Basso said the ride was another small victory on his road to recovery.

“Being able to return on my bike, a month after surgery, is for me a great victory. Now the next step will be on September 1st, when a CAT scan and the analysis of tumor markers will tell if the problem is solved. I am confident and I want to think that everything will be fine.

“Today I had my first ride and I’m not thinking about competitive training. For that I will have the time and opportunity to reflect and evaluate what to do, also based on the results of the analysis.

“Cycling is my life and no matter what happens, it will always be part of me and part of my future. In Livigno I found the ideal place where to recover, and where to spend time with my family, and for me this is a very important element.”