Thank you, Lance Armstrong, for showing the world what a true sporting champion looks like.

Your name can sit comfortably among other such sports notables as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Hank Aaron, Wayne Gretzky and other truly legendary sports figures. As they have, you have done something that will probably never be equaled, you've raised to level required to be a champion to an almost unfathomable height, and you've captivated the whole world while doing it. Vive La Tour. Vive Lance. Merci Beaucoup, et Bon Sante.

PARIS, June 22 (Reuters) - Italian Ivan Basso plans to attack six-times winner Lance Armstrong in the mountains in next month's Tour de France.

The CSC rider, who finished a disappointing 28th in the Giro d'Italia, is not expecting to beat the American in the overall standings but hopes to give him a tough time in the mountain stages.

"He is unbeatable," Basso told sports daily L'Equipe on Wednesday.

"I know I am stronger than last year, in the time trials and in the mountain. So you can be sure that this time, I will attack."

Basso does not believe German Jan Ullrich is fit enough to beat Armstrong, who is aiming for a record seventh successive victory in his last Tour.

"In the Tour of Switzerland, he (Ullrich) was not on top form," said Basso, who finished third in last year's Tour, over six minutes behind Armstrong.

Ullrich was fourth, eight minutes and 50 seconds off the pace.

The Tour de France starts on July 2 with an individual time trial in Fromentine Noirmoutier and ends on July 24 on the Champs Elysees in Paris.