Basso: 'I feel good'

"Up until now [Tuesday] we have not had one real mountain stage, it was only an arrival at high altitude. So we are going to keep our concentration," warned Riss.

"In a Giro, we know that nobody is safe from a hiccup," concluded the CSC manager.

It's a short stage but the course will be a daunting endeavour for some riders due to its demanding climbs, including the climb up to Passo Delle Erbe (1,987 metres) and the awe-inspiring climb to the finish line at the Plan de Corones - 2,273 metres with the last 5km of the ascent carried out off piste over a non-asphalt surface.

The nature of the stage should produce, once again, some notable time differences, but despite being aware of the difficulty levels of the climbs ahead, Basso seems confident in himself and his CSC buddies.

"Am I afraid before the Plan de Corones?

"We are always slightly afraid before the major climbs, Plan de Corones, the Marmolada, San Pellegrino, Mortirollo...but I feel good and I have a great team with me" declared the CSC leader.

Basso enters the stage five minutes and 24 seconds ahead of closest Rival Jose Enrique Gutierrez of the Phonak team.

Gutierrez showed in Tuesday's stage that he's very keen on making the podium when the riders wrap it up in Milan on Sunday, after crossing the line in fourth place with a gutsy performance.

"Every day, I realize that a podium place in Milan is getting closer. Today (Tuesday), I soon realized that Basso was untouchable, so my goal was to limit the time split with Simoni" declared Gutierrez

"I only lost 11 seconds on him, I am still well attached to my second place in the overall standings," warned the Phonak rider.