Tinkoff-Saxo leader Alberto Contador has led the well wishes to Ivan Basso after his veteran team-mate announced he is to leave the Tour de France after a shock cancer diagnosis this morning (Monday).

Basso made the announcement alongside a tearful Contador during the team’s rest day press conference, after going for tests following pain he was experiencing after a small crash on stage five.

And Contador took to Twitter immediately afterwards as he, team-mate Michael Rogers, team owner Oleg Tinkov and several current and former pros rallied behind Basso to support him.

Former cancer sufferers Lance Armstrong and Markel Irizar were also among the well-wishers, of which we have rounded up a selection below.