Ivan Basso goes for third win as Giro d'italia starts in Denmark

ROME (AP) -- The biggest obstacles in Ivan Basso's bid to win his third Giro d'Italia could come from the Lampre squad and a host of international riders, with the year's first major tour kicking off Saturday with three stages in Denmark.

Basso, the winner of the Giro in 2006 and 2010, hasn't had spectacular early season form. But he's the closest thing the race has to a favorite, with Alberto Contador serving a doping ban that stripped him of last year's title, and Tour de France champion Cadel Evans focusing on winning that race again.

Basso finished a distant 33rd in the Tour de Romandie last weekend, a result he attributed to extra training for the Giro. He didn't confirmed he would ride in the Giro until last week.

"I put in a lot of effort for this event and all the extra work made me anxious, but now I know I can fight for the pink jersey," Basso said.

Michele Scarponi, who was bumped up to winner last year, and Lampre teammate Damiano Cunego - the 2004 Giro winner - could both challenge Basso. So could Frank Schleck of Luxembourg, who finished third in last year's Tour.

Other international challengers include last year's best young rider, Roman Kreuziger of the Czech Republic, Joaquin Rodriguez of Spain and John Gadret of France, who was bumped up to the podium after finishing fourth last year.

"There's no leader or top team, so that's going to make controlling the race more difficult," Scarponi said.

The race opens with a 5.4-mile individual time trial in Herning, followed by two more flat stages in Denmark for sprinters.

Herning is 170 miles west of Copenhagen and the hometown of Team Saxo Bank manager Bjarne Riis.

"I just arrived and I can see the whole city is totally pink. That is fantastic," Riis told TV2 channel Thursday.

After an early rest day, the race transfers to Italy for the fourth stage, a team time trial in Verona.

All of the big mountain stages come in the last eight stages, with five uphill finishes at Cervinia, Piani dei Resinelli, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Alpe di Pampeago and the Stelvio Pass.

The queen stage is the penultimate 20th leg, a 136-mile route featuring the legendary Mortirolo climb and then finishing with an equally grueling climb to the Stelvio Pass.

The race ends with an 18.7-mile individual time trial in Milan on May 27.

Taylor Phinney of the BMC squad is among the favorites for Saturday's opening time trial. If he wins, he would be the first American to wear the pink jersey since Christian Vande Velde when Garmin won the opening team time trial in Palermo in 2008.

No American has won the Giro since Andy Hampsten took the lead by attacking amid a blizzard on the Gavia Pass in 1988.

Other overall contenders include Ryder Hesjedal, a Canadian who will have Vande Velde supporting him on the Garmin team; and Thomas De Gendt, a Belgian rider with Vacansoleil.

In last year's Tour, De Gendt finished fifth at L'Alpe d'Huez and third in the final time trial in Grenoble.

World champion Mark Cavendish will be the favorite in the sprints. The large range of challengers includes Matthew Goss, Tyler Farrar, Thor Hushovd, Mark Renshaw and Sacha Modolo.

No rider will wear No. 108, which has been retired following the death of Belgian rider Wouter Weylandt in last year's third stage.