August 10, 2009 (Lachine, QC) – This Tuesday, August 11, the 10th and final stage of the hotly contested Mardis Cyclistes Saputo Cup series will take place. Spectators can see the race in person or on “Mardis Cyclistes TV” starting at 5:20 pm – click here – and it seems that Italian cyclist, Ivan Basso (Liquigas) will be among those watching.

Basso has family in Toronto and apparently follows Canadian cycling events. The Mardis Cyclistes series is on Facebook and Basso joined as a friend. An email exchange revealed that he plans to watch the finale despite the late hour in Italy (results should be known by 8:30 pm Tuesday Montreal/Toronto time or 2:30 am Wednesday morning in Italy).

Some 20,000 spectators are expected to encourage the 200 senior men elite cyclists race beginning at 7pm. There are rumours that former Mardis series winner, Dominique Rollin (Cervelo TestTeam) may return from Europe to be in attendance on the 11th.

There are only three contenders remaining who could possibly take the 2009 Saputo Cup series, including current leader Martin Gilbert (Planet Energy), Jean-Francois Laroche (Kuota) and Hugo Houle (Garneau). Gilbert was part of the Canadian cycling team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics while Laroche has won the Saputo Cup two years running. Houle, who is only 18, already knows that he will pick up an award as “revelation of the year” at the ceremonies following Tuesday’s race.

As always, it is free to watch the race around LaSalle Park in Lachine with minime and junior races beginning at 5:30 pm. There will be corn on the cob and door prizes for spectators.

Basso won the 2006 Giro, and has won stages at the TdF, but was among the cyclists implicated in the Operacion Puerto doping scandal and served a two-year ban from professional cycling.