Marco Pantani

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Born
1970 (55 years old)
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Cesena, Emilia-Romagna

Position
Cyclist

Status

Ethnicity
White

Height
1.72

Weight
57

Outfitter

Kit
Wage Year

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Sport

Cycling

Team
_Retired Cycling

League
_Defunct Cycling Teams

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Description

Marco Pantani (Italian pronunciation: ; 13 January 1970 – 14 February 2004) was an Italian road racing cyclist, widely considered one of the best climbers of his era in professional road bicycle racing. He won both the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia in 1998, being the sixth Italian after Ottavio Bottecchia, Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, Felice Gimondi and Gastone Nencini to win the Tour de France. He is the last cyclist, and one of only seven, to win the Giro and the Tour in the same year.

Pantani's attacking style and aggressive riding turned him into a fan favorite in the late 1990s. He was known as "Il Pirata" (English: "The pirate") because of his shaved head and the bandana and earrings he always wore. At 1.72 m and 57 kg, he had the classic build for a mountain climber. His style contrasted with that of time-trialling experts such as the five-times Tour winner Miguel Indurain.

Although Pantani never tested positive during his career, his career was beset by doping allegations. In the 1999 Giro d'Italia, he was expelled due to his irregular blood values. Although he was disqualified for "health reasons," it was implied that Pantani's high haematocrit was the product of EPO use. Following later accusations, Pantani went into a depression from which he never fully recovered. He died of acute cocaine poisoning in 2004.

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