Ivan Basso withdraws from Tour de France after being diagnosed with testicular cancer

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Tinkoff-Saxo's Ivan Basso was diagnosed with testicular cancer on Monday
Italian had scans after complaining of pain after a crash on stage five
Basso only found out about the cancer two hours before announcing it

Published: 08:57 EST, 13 July 2015 | Updated: 09:48 EST, 13 July 2015

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Ivan Basso has withdrawn from the Tour de France after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Basso was a key member of Alberto Contador's Tinkoff-Saxo squad, but will return home to Italy on Monday's first rest day.

'Unfortunately I have a bad announcement,' the 37-year-old explained at a press conference.

Ivan Basso (left) has withdrawn from this year's Tour de France after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer

Basso (left) sits alongside his Tinkoff-Saxo team-mate Alberto Contador before stage two of the Tour

'I have a small cancer in my left testicle, so you can understand that I have to go back to Italy. We discovered this just two hours ago.'

Basso, who is a former Giro d'Italia winner in 2006 and 2010, underwent a scan after complaining of pain following a crash on stage five.

Spain's Contador, who is attempting a rare Giro/Tour de France double, would not discuss the race, in which he sits fifth overall, one minute three seconds behind leader Chris Froome.

Basso has twice won the Giro d'Italia and revealed the diagnosis followed a crash on stage five, after which he felt pain after catching his testicle on his saddle.

He will travel to Italy to undergo surgery as soon as possible.

Contador said on cyclingnews.com: 'We never imagined a thing like this, but now the first thing is to support Ivan and to hope everything will be resolved as soon as possible.

'I'm here just to give Ivan the full support of the team.'

Lance Armstrong returned from testicular cancer to win a record seven Tours, but subsequently had them stripped for doping.

Armstrong wrote on Twitter: 'Thinking about @ivanbasso and wishing him the very best as he embarks on his cancer journey. £IvanSTRONG!!'

Armstrong will ride stages 13 and 14 this week alongside Geoff Thomas, raising money for Cure Leukaemia.

Basso (centre right) went for scans after complaining of pain after a crash on stage five last week

'I have grown closer to Ivan in the past weeks and this is terrible news,' said Contador.

Basso looked on course for Tour glory when he won the white jersey for the best Under-25 rider in 2002, in an era dominated by the disgraced Lance Armstrong, a testicular cancer survivor.

'Thinking about Ivan Basso and wishing him the very best as he embarks on his cancer journey,' Armstrong said on Twitter.

He never won the world's greatest race, however, finishing third and second overall in 2004 and 2005 respectively.

Basso won the Giro twice -- his only grand tour titles -- thanks to impressive climbing performances.

His career, however, was stained with a two-year ban for his implication in the Operation Puerto blood-doping scandal.

Thinking about @ivanbasso and wishing him the very best as he embarks on his cancer journey. #IvanSTRONG!!
— Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) July 13, 2015

Basso admitted to 'attempted doping' in 2007 and was hit by a backdated suspension.

He won the Giro less than two years after his comeback from suspension but only managed seventh in the 2007 Tour. He was one of Contador's lieutenants on this year's Tour having helped the Spaniard win the Giro last month.