A cyst forced Ivan Basso (Cannondale) to miss his biggest season objective in the Giro d'Italia but he has now recovered and is back in competition in the Tour de Pologne. His next major target is the Vuelta a Espana and he is convinced that he can finish on the podium in the Spanish grand tour.

Ivan Basso has endured a tough time since his Giro win in 2010. In 2011, a major crash disrupted his preparation for the Tour de France and he finished a disappointing 7th. Last year he was back in the Giro but once again a crash-marred build-up made him unable to regain his former strength and he ended up 5th in the race.

This year, all was set for a good performance in the Giro but a few days prior to the race, he had to cancel his participation as he suffered from a cyst. Having recovered, he restarted his season in the Italian road race championships and raced a quiet Tour of Austria in early June before taking part in a high-altitude training camp.

His training has certainly had an effect as the veteran Italian has been one of the positive surprises in the Tour de Pologne. In the two first stages in the Italian Dolomites, the Cannondale leader has always been near the front and even asked his team to take up the responsibility to chase. When the racing resumes today in Poland, Basso finds himself 11th overall, 20 seconds off Rafal Majka's race lead.

However, it is all just preparation for the Vuelta a Espana which is Basso's new season target. Many believe that the 35-year old double Giro champion is past his best but the Italian aims to show that he is still among the best grand tour riders in the world and is hopeful that his performance in Spain will allow him to fight for a podium spot.

"My season restarts here in the Tour de Pologne and I am convinced that people will have changed their perception of me after the Vuelta," Basso told Gazzetta dello Sport. "I don't know if I will win in Spain but I think I will finish in the top 3."

Basso most recently raced the Vuelta in 2009 - his first season back from suspension - and he finished just outside the podium in 4th.