It looks like 2009 will be the season of the comeback, and at least in Italy there won’t be a return to competition more watched than that of Ivan Basso.

After months of avoiding the spotlight, Basso is taking his first tentative steps toward his full re-entry into the cycling world with a press conference next week in Italy ahead of the Giro di Lombardia.

Basso won’t be racing in Europe’s last major race of the season, but it will be a chance for his new Liquigas team to break the ice with the media on Oct. 17.

Basso’s 16-month ban for admitting his “intention to dope” as part of the Operación Puerto doping scandal ends Oct. 24 and he’s expected to race at the Japan Cup on Oct. 26.

His 2009 racing schedule has yet to be finalized, but Basso is expected to take aim at the Giro d’Italia, which he won in 2006 just days after his name was initially linked to the Operación Puerto investigation.

Team officials hope Basso can return to the Tour in 2010.

Basso — who turns 31 in November — has already ridden 30,000km in 2007 through October.

According to his manager, ex-pro Giovanni Lombardi, Basso has often re-enacted the intensity of real-life conditions during weeklong virtual stage races replete with climbs and time trials to simulate real race speeds and recovery.

And he vows his return to elite racing will be transparent.

Since this year, he’s been working with renowned Italian trainer Dr. Aldo Sassi – coach of Cadel Evans at the Mapei Training Center near Milan – and will reportedly post his blood levels and training data online in an effort to rebuild his shattered credibility.

Basso’s homepage is posting a countdown clock to his comeback, with a message that reads: “A new site – and he’s not alone.”

Liquigas didn’t bat an eye at the chance of signing the divisive, yet still-popular star to a two-year deal worth an estimated 1 million euros that includes built-in incentives for big wins at the Giro.

For Basso, winning is the best way to revalidate his place in the peloton. It will be interesting to see what kind of welcome he receives.