Marco Pantani
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Marco Pantani (; 13 January 1970 – 14 February 2004) was an Italian
road racing cyclist Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most comm ...
, widely regarded as one of the greatest
climbing specialist A climbing specialist or climber, also known as a grimpeur, is a road bicycle racer who can ride especially well on highly inclined roads, such as those found among hills or mountains. Role of climber in a race In a sustained climb, the average ...
s in the history of the sport by measures of his legacy, credits from other riders, and records. He recorded the fastest ever climbs up the Tour's iconic venues of Mont Ventoux (46:00) and Alpe d'Huez (36:50), and other cyclists including
Lance Armstrong Lance Edward Armstrong (''né'' Gunderson; born September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist. He achieved international fame for winning the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times fro ...
and
Charly Gaul Charly Gaul Sporting Cyclist, UK, undated cutting (8 December 1932 – 6 December 2005)Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
double, doing so in 1998. He is the sixth of seven Italians, after
Ottavio Bottecchia Ottavio Bottecchia (; 1 August 1894 – 15 June 1927) was an Italian cyclist and the first Italian winner of the Tour de France. He was found injured and unconscious by a roadside and died a few days later; the exact circumstances of his acciden ...
,
Gino Bartali Gino Bartali, (; 18 July 1914 – 5 May 2000), nicknamed Gino the Pious and (in Italy) Ginettaccio, was a champion road cyclist. He was the most renowned Italian cyclist before the Second World War, having won the Giro d'Italia twice, in ...
,
Fausto Coppi Angelo Fausto Coppi (; 15 September 1919 – 2 January 1960) was an Italian cyclist, the dominant international cyclist of the years after the World War II, Second World War. His successes earned him the title ''Il Campionissimo'' ("Champio ...
,
Gastone Nencini Gastone Nencini (; 1 March 1930 – 1 February 1980) was an Italian road racing cyclist who won the 1960 Tour de France, 1960 Tour de France and the 1957 Giro d'Italia, 1957 Giro d'Italia. Nicknamed ''Il Leone del Mugello'', "The Lion of Mugel ...
and
Felice Gimondi Felice Gimondi (; 29 September 1942 – 16 August 2019) was an Italian professional racing cyclist. With his 1968 Vuelta a España, 1968 victory at the Vuelta a España, only three years after becoming a professional cyclist, Gimondi, nicknamed ...
, and before
Vincenzo Nibali Vincenzo Nibali (; born 14 November 1984) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional from 2005 to 2022. He is one of seven cyclists who have won all three of cycling's Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours i ...
to win the Tour de France. Pantani's cycling style was off-the-saddle, and was a relentless climbing style. His early death caused by acute cocaine poisoning in 2004 has further turned the cyclist into a popular icon. The narrative was cultivated by Pantani, who picked the nickname "Il Pirata" (English: "The Pirate") because of his shaven head and the
bandana A kerchief (from the Old French ''couvre-chef'', "cover head"), also known as a bandana or bandanna, is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the Human head, head, face, or neck for protective or decorative purposes. The popularity of ...
and earrings he wore. At and , he was said to have the classic build for a
mountain climber Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become mounta ...
. His style has been contrasted with that of time-trialling experts such as the five-time Tour winner
Miguel Induráin Miguel Induráin Larraya (; born 16 July 1964) is a retired Spanish road racing cyclist. Induráin won five Tours de France from 1991 Tour de France, 1991 to 1995 Tour de France, 1995, the fourth, and last, to win five times, and the only five- ...
. Although Pantani never tested positive during his career, his career was beset by doping allegations. In the
1999 Giro d'Italia The 1999 Giro d'Italia was the 82nd edition of the Giro. It began on May 15 with a mass-start stage that stretched from Agrigento to Modica. The race came to a close on June 6 with a mass-start stage that ended in the Italian city of Milan. E ...
, he was expelled due to his irregular blood values. Although he was disqualified for "health reasons", it was implied that Pantani's high
haematocrit The hematocrit () (Ht or HCT), also known by several other names, is the volume percentage (vol%) of red blood cells (RBCs) in blood, measured as part of a blood test. The measurement depends on the number and size of red blood cells. It is nor ...
was the product of EPO use. Following later accusations, Pantani went into a severe depression from which he never fully recovered, ultimately leading to his death in 2004.


Early life and amateur career

Pantani was born on 13 January 1970 in
Cesena Cesena (; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy; and - with Forlì - is the capital of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. Served by Autostrada A14 (Italy), Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine M ...
,
Romagna Romagna () is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna, in northern Italy. Etymology The name ''Romagna'' originates from the Latin name ''Romania'', which originally ...
, the son of Ferdinando (referred to as Paolo) and Tonina. He joined the Fausto Coppi cycling club of
Cesenatico Cesenatico () is a port town with about 26,000 inhabitants on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is located in the province of Forlì-Cesena in the region of Emilia-Romagna, about south of Ravenna. Cesenatico's port canal was surveyed and drawn by Le ...
at the age of eleven. As an amateur, he won the 1992
Girobio Giro Next Gen, also known as Baby Giro, Girobio, Giro d'Italia Giovani Under 23 or Giro Ciclistico d'Italia, is an Italian road bicycle racing amateur stage race created in 1970. The race is considered to be the most important race on Italy's U23 ...
, the amateur version of the
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
, after finishing third in 1990 and second in 1991.


Professional career


1992–1996: Early years

His success at the Girobio led to his turning professional for the remainder of the 1992 season with
Davide Boifava Davide Boifava (born 14 November 1946) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer and cycling team manager. Major results ;1966 : 1st Trofeo Alcide Degasperi ;1968 : 1st Stage 2a Tour de l'Avenir ;1969 : 1st Pursuit, National Tra ...
's . While signing the contract, barely above the minimum established, he asked Boifava what would happen if he were to win the
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
or the
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
, requesting a change in the contract. He finished 12th in his first professional race, the
Gran Premio Città di Camaiore The Gran Premio Città di Camaiore was a road bicycle race held in Camaiore, Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital cit ...
. In 1993, his first full season as a professional, he finished fifth at the mountainous course of
Giro del Trentino The Tour of the Alps is an annual professional cycling stage race in Italy and Austria. First held in 1962, it was named Giro del Trentino () until 2016, and run over four stages in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of Italy. In 2015, th ...
and debuted at the
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
in order to help his team leader,
Claudio Chiappucci Claudio Chiappucci (born 28 February 1963 in Uboldo, Varese, Lombardy) is a retired Italian professional cyclist. He was on the podium three times in the Tour de France general classification: second in 1990, third in 1991 and second again in 19 ...
. He was forced to abandon the race in the 18th stage due to
tendinitis Tendinopathy is a type of tendon disorder that results in pain, swelling, and impaired function. The pain is typically worse with movement. It most commonly occurs around the shoulder ( rotator cuff tendinitis, biceps tendinitis), elbow ( tenn ...
. In 1994, he finished fourth at the
Giro del Trentino The Tour of the Alps is an annual professional cycling stage race in Italy and Austria. First held in 1962, it was named Giro del Trentino () until 2016, and run over four stages in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of Italy. In 2015, th ...
and the
Giro di Toscana The Giro di Toscana is a road bicycle race held annually in Tuscany, Italy. From 2005 to 2014, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. The race was not held in 2015. On 4 April 2016 it was announced that the race will ...
before his second participation at the
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
, where he was supposed to help Chiappucci. He won two consecutive mountain stages, earning his first victory as a professional in the fourteenth stage to
Merano Merano (, ; ) or Meran () is a (municipality) in South Tyrol, Northern Italy. Generally best known for its Spa town, spa resorts, it is located within a Depression (geology), basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to Height above mean sea ...
. In the following stage to
Aprica Aprica () is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Sondrio, Lombardy, northern Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, ...
, which featured the renowned
Stelvio Pass The Stelvio Pass ( or ; ) is a mountain pass in northern Italy bordering Switzerland at an elevation of above sea level. It is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps, below France's Col de l ...
and the
Mortirolo Pass The Mortirolo Pass () (el. 1852 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Alps in Italy. Also known as Passo della Foppa, it connects Mazzo di Valtellina (province of Sondrio) and Val Camonica (province of Brescia). The road from Mazzo di Va ...
, Pantani attacked at the base of Mortirolo and broke free at the Valico di Santa Cristina to win the stage at Aprica and place second in the overall classification. He ultimately finished the race behind
Eugeni Berzin Evgeni Valentinovich Berzin (; born 3 June 1970) is a Russian former road cyclist. Coming from track cycling, where he successfully represented the Soviet Union at World Championships, he moved to Italy in 1992 and turned professional with in ...
but ahead of
Miguel Induráin Miguel Induráin Larraya (; born 16 July 1964) is a retired Spanish road racing cyclist. Induráin won five Tours de France from 1991 Tour de France, 1991 to 1995 Tour de France, 1995, the fourth, and last, to win five times, and the only five- ...
, who had won the two previous Giros. That same year Pantani made his
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
debut, coming in third and winning the
young rider classification Young rider classification () in a cycling jersey competition in multi-day stage race events, such as the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and many others, is an award for the current leader by overall time for riders below the age of twenty-six years ...
along the way. In 1995, he was hit by a car while training, preventing him from riding the Giro, but he rode the
Tour Tour or Tours may refer to: Travel * Tourism, travel for pleasure * Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service * Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus * Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed ...
and won stages at
Alpe d'Huez L'Alpe d'Huez () is a ski resort in Southeastern France at . It is a mountain pasture in the central French Western Alps, in the Communes of France, commune of Huez, which is part of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-R ...
and Guzet-Neige. He also finished thirteenth and claimed his second successive best young rider prize. He also won a stage at the
Tour de Suisse The Tour de Suisse () is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France, which is on the calend ...
and finished third in the 1995 World Championships road race in
Duitama Duitama () is a city and municipality in the department of Boyacá. It's the capital of the Tundama Province. Duitama is located northeast of Bogotá, the capital of Colombia and northeast of Tunja, the capital of Boyacá. In 2023 Duitama had ...
, Colombia, behind Spaniards
Abraham Olano Abraham Olano Manzano (born 22 January 1970) is a Spanish retired professional road racing cyclist, who raced as a professional from 1992 to 2002. He won the UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race, World Road Championship in 1995 UCI ...
and
Miguel Induráin Miguel Induráin Larraya (; born 16 July 1964) is a retired Spanish road racing cyclist. Induráin won five Tours de France from 1991 Tour de France, 1991 to 1995 Tour de France, 1995, the fourth, and last, to win five times, and the only five- ...
. Shortly after returning to Italy, he collided head-on with a car during the Italian
Milano–Torino Milano–Torino is a semi classic European single day cycling race, between the northern Italian cities of Milan and Turin over a distance of 199 kilometres. The event was first run in 1876 making it the oldest classic race in the world. The ...
race, sustaining multiple fractures to the left
tibia The tibia (; : tibiae or tibias), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two Leg bones, bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outsi ...
and
fibula The fibula (: fibulae or fibulas) or calf bone is a leg bone on the lateral side of the tibia, to which it is connected above and below. It is the smaller of the two bones and, in proportion to its length, the most slender of all the long bones. ...
, injuries that threatened his career and forced him to miss most of the 1996 season.


1997: Move to Mercatone Uno

When Carrera Jeans manufacturers stopped sponsoring the renowned Italian cycling team at the end of 1996, a new team based in Italy was formed with Marco Pantani as the team leader.
Luciano Pezzi Luciano Pezzi (7 February 1921, Russi, Province of Ravenna – 26 June 1998) was an Italian professional road bicycle racer. Early life He was born in Russi. Death He died in Bologna at age 77. Major results ;1947 : 1st Coppa Collecchio ...
founded , taking with him as
directeur sportif A ''directeur sportif'' (, ) is a person directing a cycling team during a road bicycle racing event. It is seen as the equivalent to a field manager in baseball, or a head coach in football. At professional level, a directeur sportif follows t ...
s
Giuseppe Martinelli Giuseppe Martinelli (born 11 March 1955) is a retired road bicycle racer from Italy, who was a professional rider from 1977 to 1985. He represented his native country at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where he won silver m ...
,
Davide Cassani Davide Cassani (born 1 January 1961) is a former road cyclist and cycling commentator on Italian television from Italy. He was manager for Italy national cycling team. He was born in Faenza. In 1982 he made his professional debut with Termolan ...
and Alessandro Giannelli and ten of the riders from Carrera. Pantani returned to the Giro in 1997, but he was injured when a black cat caused an accident in front of him during one of the first stages. Even though he completed the stage, he was treated at a hospital for a muscle injury in the same leg he had hurt in 1995. He returned to action at the
1997 Tour de France The 1997 Tour de France was the 84th edition of the Tour de France and took place from 5 to 27 July. Jan Ullrich's victory margin of 9:09 was the largest margin of victory since Laurent Fignon won the 1984 Tour de France by 10:32. Since 1997 no r ...
and won two stages in the
Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...
, establishing a record time for the climb of
Alpe d'Huez L'Alpe d'Huez () is a ski resort in Southeastern France at . It is a mountain pasture in the central French Western Alps, in the Communes of France, commune of Huez, which is part of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-R ...
and winning two days later at
Morzine Morzine (; ), alternatively known as Morzine-Avoriaz (), is an alpine commune on the Swiss border in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France. It is located in the French-Swiss Chablais historical ...
. Jan Ullrich won, with Pantani third behind
Richard Virenque Richard VirenqueRichard Virenque's name is pronounced Ree-shah Vee-rahnk. Virenque considers himself a man of the South but pronounces his name in standard French. Confusion is caused by the southern habit of pronouncing "en" as "ang" or "eng", ...
. In 1997, Pantani rode the final 14.5 km to L`Alpe d`Huez in 37'35" minutes, which is the record to this day based on 14.5 km. Since the actual climb is just 13.8 km long, Pantani's time in 1997 was 36'55" minutes based on 13.8 km. His personal record for 13.8 km was in 1995, when he rode the climb in 36'50" minutes, which remains the fastest ascent time to this day. He also holds the second and third fastest time at 36'55" in 1997 and 37'15" in 1994, followed by
Lance Armstrong Lance Edward Armstrong (''né'' Gunderson; born September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist. He achieved international fame for winning the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times fro ...
at 37'36" in 2004 and
Jan Ullrich Jan Ullrich (; born 2 December 1973) is a German former professional road bicycle racer. Ullrich won gold and silver medals in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Sydney. He won the 1999 Vuelta a España and the HEW Cyclassics in fro ...
at 37'41" in 1997.


1998: Giro and Tour wins

In 1998, Pantani was considered a favorite to win the
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
. Other contenders included
Alex Zülle Alex Zülle (born 5 July 1968) is a Switzerland, Swiss former professional road bicycle racer. During the 1990s he was one of the most successful cyclists in the world, winning the 1996 and 1997 Vuelta a España, taking second place in the 1995 ...
,
1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
winner
Pavel Tonkov Pavel Sergeyevich Tonkov (; born 9 February 1969) is a former professional road racing cyclist from Russia. His talents were first showcased when winning the world junior title as part of the Soviet Union team in 1987. This alerted the world to h ...
and
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
winner
Ivan Gotti Ivan Gotti (born 28 March 1969) is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist. Gotti was born at San Pellegrino Terme, Lombardy. He first came to prominence by finishing 5th overall in the 1995 Tour de France. The highlights of his career ...
. Zülle won the initial
prologue A prologue or prolog (from Ancient Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier st ...
in Nice and also won the sixth stage to Lago Laceno, but Pantani recovered some time in the mountain stage to
Piancavallo Piancavallo () is a ski resort in the Dolomites of northern Italy. It is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Aviano, in the province of Pordenone in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Piancavallo is situated at above sea level, at the foot of Monte Cava ...
. Pantani lost further time to his main rivals during the fifteenth stage, an individual time trial in
Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...
. By that point, Pantani faced a disadvantage of almost four minutes to Zülle before the
Dolomites The Dolomites ( ), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range in northeastern Italy. They form part of the Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Va ...
mountain stages and an individual time trial on the penultimate stage, a discipline that favored Zülle and Tonkov. In the seventeenth stage to
Selva di Val Gardena Selva may refer to: People *Selva (surname) *Selva (name) *Selva (actor), Indian actor *Selva (director), Indian director Places *Selva (comarca), a coastal comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain *Selva, Mallorca (pop. 3,055), a municipality on Mal ...
, Pantani took the
maglia rosa The general classification in the Giro d'Italia is the most important classification of the Giro d'Italia, which determines who is the overall winner. It is therefore considered more important than secondary classifications as the points classif ...
, the leader's jersey, for the first time in his career after attacking Zülle on the
Marmolada Marmolada (Ladin language, Ladin: ''Marmolèda''; German language, German: ''Marmolata'', ) is a mountain in northeastern Italy and the highest mountain of the Dolomites (a section of the Alps). It lies between the borders of Trentino and Ven ...
climb. Although Pantani crossed the finish line behind
Giuseppe Guerini Giuseppe Guerini (born 14 February 1970) is a retired Italian professional road bicycle racer. He was known throughout his career as a climbing specialist and had pronounced success in cycling's Grand Tour events. He completed six editions of t ...
, he finished over four minutes ahead of Zülle, maintaining an advantage of thirty seconds on the general classification over Tonkov, thirty-one seconds on Guerini and over a minute on Zülle. In the following stage to Alpe di Pampeago, he finished second behind Tonkov but maintained the general classification lead over him and gained further time on Zülle and Guerini. In the eighteenth stage to Plan di Montecampione, he repeatedly attacked Tonkov, dropping him in the last three kilometers and winning the stage to face the individual time trial on the penultimate stage with a lead of almost a minute and a half. Zülle lost contact with the favorites in the first climb and ended up losing over thirty minutes. Having won over two minutes on Pantani in the previous time trial, Tonkov was considered superior to Pantani on the time trial discipline, but the Italian finished third in the penultimate stage, gaining an additional five seconds on Tonkov. Pantani was thus able to maintain his lead to win the Giro d'Italia with a minute and a half over Tonkov and more than six minutes over Guerini. He also won the
Mountains classification The King of the Mountains (KoM) is an award given to the best climbing specialist in a men's cycling road race; in women's cycle racing, Queen of the Mountains (QoM) is used. While the title may be given to the rider who achieves the highest p ...
and finished second in the
Points classification The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning sprints at certain places along the route, most often called ''intermediate sprints''. The points c ...
. In the
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
, Pantani started the race by finishing 181st of 189 riders in the opening prologue, and losing over four minutes in the first
individual time trial An individual time trial (ITT) is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock (in French: ''contre la montre'' – literally "against the watch", in Italian: ''tappa a cronometro'' "stopwatch stage"). There are also trac ...
to
1997 Tour de France The 1997 Tour de France was the 84th edition of the Tour de France and took place from 5 to 27 July. Jan Ullrich's victory margin of 9:09 was the largest margin of victory since Laurent Fignon won the 1984 Tour de France by 10:32. Since 1997 no r ...
winner
Jan Ullrich Jan Ullrich (; born 2 December 1973) is a German former professional road bicycle racer. Ullrich won gold and silver medals in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Sydney. He won the 1999 Vuelta a España and the HEW Cyclassics in fro ...
. Pantani pulled back these early time losses to Ullrich, first in the
Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...
by taking 23 seconds off Ullrich in the stage to Luchon and winning the stage to
Plateau de Beille In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Oft ...
, where he took an additional minute and forty seconds from Ullrich. Although he was still three minutes behind Ullrich after the Pyrenees, he defeated him by almost nine minutes in the first mountain stage in the
Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...
, from
Grenoble Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
to
Les Deux Alpes Les 2 Alpes () is a ski resort in the French '' department'' of Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The village sits at and lifts run to . It has the largest skiable glacier in Europe and is France's second oldest ski resort behind Chamonix. It h ...
, via the
Col de la Croix de Fer Col de la Croix de Fer () (el. 2067 m.) is a high mountain pass in the French Alps linking Le Bourg-d'Oisans and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. Details of climb The approach from the northeast from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is 29.5 km at an average ...
and
Col du Galibier The Col du Galibier (el. ) is a mountain pass in the southern region of the France, French Dauphiné Alps near Grenoble. It is the eighth List of highest paved roads in Europe, highest paved road in the Alps, and recurrently the List of highe ...
. Pantani launched an attack on the ascent of Galibier, forty-eight kilometers from the finish. He stopped to put on a rain jacket at the summit to win on the final ascent to Deux Alpes. Pantani turned his three-minute deficit on Ullrich into a six-minute advantage that he maintained in the following stages to win the Tour de France ahead of
Jan Ullrich Jan Ullrich (; born 2 December 1973) is a German former professional road bicycle racer. Ullrich won gold and silver medals in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Sydney. He won the 1999 Vuelta a España and the HEW Cyclassics in fro ...
and
Bobby Julich Robert "Bobby" Julich ( ; born November 18, 1971), popularly called Bobby Julich, is an American former professional road bicycle racer who last rode for Team CSC in the UCI ProTour racing series. He got his international breakthrough when he fi ...
. Pantani became the first Italian since
Felice Gimondi Felice Gimondi (; 29 September 1942 – 16 August 2019) was an Italian professional racing cyclist. With his 1968 Vuelta a España, 1968 victory at the Vuelta a España, only three years after becoming a professional cyclist, Gimondi, nicknamed ...
in 1965 to win the Tour and the seventh rider in history to achieve the Giro-Tour double, a feat which no one had achieved since
Miguel Induráin Miguel Induráin Larraya (; born 16 July 1964) is a retired Spanish road racing cyclist. Induráin won five Tours de France from 1991 Tour de France, 1991 to 1995 Tour de France, 1995, the fourth, and last, to win five times, and the only five- ...
succeeded in 1993. Until Tadej Pogacar in 2024, Pantani was the last person to win the Giro-Tour double in the same year. Following his success in the Tour, he stated that he may have won the cleanest Tour because of the fear of police following the Festina affair. Although he had just ended what would be his most successful season and he had always dreamed about winning the
yellow jersey The general classification of the Tour de France is the most important classification of the race and determines the winner of the race. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification has worn the yellow jersey ( ). History For the first t ...
, he later stated that he felt more alone than ever. French cycling magazine'' Vélo Magazine ''awarded him the
Vélo d'Or The Vélo d'Or (French for "Golden Bicycle") is an annual cycle racing award, given to the cyclist considered to have performed the best over the racing season. It is awarded by the French cycling magazine '' Vélo Magazine'', with the winner cho ...
as the best rider of 1998.


1999: Expelled at Madonna di Campiglio

In 1999, Pantani started the season by winning a stage and the overall classification of
Vuelta a Murcia The Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia () is a road bicycle race held in and around Murcia, Spain. The first four editions were reserved to amateurs. Originally the race was held in early March and consisted of five stages. However, due to Spain's fina ...
as well as a stage at the
Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme The Catalan Cycling Week (''Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme'' in Catalan language, Catalan) was a stage race, multi-stage road bicycle race held in Catalonia, Spain. Held annually from 1963 until 2005, it was run as a 2.HC race on the UCI Europe Tour ...
. Pantani was leading the
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
, with only one mountain stage left, when a blood test at
Madonna di Campiglio Madonna di Campiglio () is a village and a ski resort in northeast Italy. It is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Pinzolo. The village lies in the Val Rendena at an elevation of above sea level, and has approximately 1,000 inhabitants. Th ...
showed that he had a 52-per cent
hematocrit The hematocrit () (Ht or HCT), also known by several other names, is the volume percentage (vol%) of red blood cells (RBCs) in blood, measured as part of a blood test. The measurement depends on the number and size of red blood cells. It is nor ...
reading, above the 50-per cent upper limit set by
UCI UCI most commonly refers to: * University of California, Irvine, a public university in Irvine, California, United States * Union Cycliste Internationale, the world governing body for the sport of cycling UCI may also refer to: * Uganda Cancer In ...
. He was expelled from the race and forced to take a two-week break from racing, with no further action taken. Although the hematocrit test is officially branded as a "health check", a high reading suggests that a rider may have been
blood doping Blood doping is a form of Doping in sport, doping in which the number of red blood cells in the bloodstream is boosted in order to enhance athletic performance. Because such blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the muscles, a higher concentr ...
with EPO. At the time of his disqualification, Pantani had won four stages and held a comfortable lead of five minutes and thirty-eight seconds over
Paolo Savoldelli Paolo Savoldelli (born 7 May 1973) is a former Italy, Italian road racing cyclist and winner of the 2002 Giro d'Italia, 2002 and 2005 Giro d'Italia. Savoldelli was a climbing specialist, climber but known for his fast downhill riding. He is nick ...
and also led in the points and mountains classifications. As a result, the entire team withdrew from the race. Pantani stayed away from the rest of the year's races.


2000–2003: Late years

In 2000, he was back in the Giro after deciding to ride only the day before the race started. He lost time and could not attack until the last mountain stage to
Briançon Briançon (, ) is the sole Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Hautes-Alpes Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It is the highest city in France at an a ...
, in which he helped his teammate
Stefano Garzelli Stefano Garzelli (born 16 July 1973) is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist, who competed as a professional between 1997 and 2013. The high point of his career was his overall win in the 2000 Giro d'Italia, after a close three-way ...
to win. Pantani rode the
2000 Tour de France The 2000 Tour de France was a multiple stage bicycle race held from 1 to 23 July, and the 87th edition of the Tour de France. There was no overall winner following a vacating of results by the United States Anti-Doping Agency announcement on 24 ...
. He was off the pace in the
Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...
, but matched
Lance Armstrong Lance Edward Armstrong (''né'' Gunderson; born September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist. He achieved international fame for winning the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times fro ...
on
Mont Ventoux Mont Ventoux (; ) is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the department of Drôme. At , it is the highest mountain in the region and h ...
, leaving the field behind. Armstrong eased and appeared to allow Pantani the stage victory. Pantani said that he felt insulted by the gesture, causing bad feelings between the two which were exacerbated when Armstrong referred to him as ''Elefantino'' (Italian for "Little Elephant"), a reference to his prominent ears. In that same Tour, he won another stage, to
Courchevel Courchevel () is a French Alps ski resort located in the Tarentaise Valley. It is a part of Les Trois Vallées, the largest linked ski areas in the world. Courchevel also refers to the towns of Courchevel 1300 (Le Praz), Courchevel 1550, Co ...
, that turned out to be his last victory as a professional. At that point, he was sixth in the overall classification, facing a disadvantage of nine minutes to Armstrong. On the next stage, which featured the
hors catégorie ''Hors catégorie'' (HC) is a French term used in stage bicycle races to designate a climb that is "beyond categorization". The term was originally used for those mountain roads where cars were not expected to be able to pass. The HC climb is th ...
Col de Joux-Plane Col de Joux Plane (el. 1691 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Alps in Haute-Savoie, France, linking Morzine with Samoëns. The climb has been featured several times in the Tour de France cycling race. Climb details *Starting from Samoëns, the ...
to
Morzine Morzine (; ), alternatively known as Morzine-Avoriaz (), is an alpine commune on the Swiss border in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France. It is located in the French-Swiss Chablais historical ...
, Pantani broke away with 120 km to go, trying to crush Armstrong, but he suffered stomach problems and withdrew the next day. He never raced the Tour again. Later in the year, he represented Italy in the Sydney Olympics Road Race, finishing 69th. After that, he raced sporadically in 2001 and 2002, although he was demoralised from doping suspicions and had poor results. During the
2001 Giro d'Italia The 2001 Giro d'Italia was the 84th edition of the Giro. It began with a prologue that went from Montesilvano to Pescara. The race came to a close on June 10 with a mass-start stage that ended in the Italian city of Milan. Twenty teams enter ...
,
Italian police Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
raided the rooms of riders from all 20 teams and a syringe containing traces of
insulin Insulin (, from Latin ''insula'', 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the insulin (''INS)'' gene. It is the main Anabolism, anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabol ...
was found in Pantani's room. He was banned for eight months by the
Italian Cycling Federation The Italian Cycling Federation or FCI (in Italian: ''Federazione Ciclistica Italiana'') is the national governing body of cycle racing in Italy. The FCI is a member of the UCI and the UEC. History The Italian Cycling Federation was born, ...
but later won an appeal due to an absence of proof. In 2003, Pantani made another comeback in the
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
, finishing 14th overall. His best stage result was a fifth position after launching an unsuccessful attack on the slopes of
Monte Zoncolan Monte Zoncolan () is a mountain in the Carnic Alps, located in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy, with an elevation of . It is one of the most demanding climbs in professional road bicycle racing, having been used in the Giro d'Italia ...
, while he launched his last attacks on the nineteenth stage to Cascata del Toce. It was the last time he rode a professional cycling race. After his team was not invited to the
2003 Tour de France The 2003 Tour de France was a multiple stage bicycle race held from 5 to 27 July, and the 90th edition of the Tour de France. It has no overall winner—although American cyclist Lance Armstrong originally won the event, the United States Anti- ...
, it was speculated that he would join Bianchi in order to ride the Tour, but he made a plea for privacy in late June following his admission to a psychiatric clinic which specialised in nervous disorders, drug addiction and alcoholism. After being released from the clinic, he was acquitted of a pending court case for sporting fraud regarding his blood values in
1999 Giro d'Italia The 1999 Giro d'Italia was the 82nd edition of the Giro. It began on May 15 with a mass-start stage that stretched from Agrigento to Modica. The race came to a close on June 6 with a mass-start stage that ended in the Italian city of Milan. E ...
because doping was not considered a crime in 1999. Pantani told an Italian newspaper that cycling fans had to forget about Pantani as an athlete, while stating that cycling was the last thing on his mind and that he had gained weight.


Doping

After being disqualified at the
1999 Giro d'Italia The 1999 Giro d'Italia was the 82nd edition of the Giro. It began on May 15 with a mass-start stage that stretched from Agrigento to Modica. The race came to a close on June 6 with a mass-start stage that ended in the Italian city of Milan. E ...
for a
hematocrit The hematocrit () (Ht or HCT), also known by several other names, is the volume percentage (vol%) of red blood cells (RBCs) in blood, measured as part of a blood test. The measurement depends on the number and size of red blood cells. It is nor ...
reading of 52 per cent, above the 50-per cent upper limit set by
UCI UCI most commonly refers to: * University of California, Irvine, a public university in Irvine, California, United States * Union Cycliste Internationale, the world governing body for the sport of cycling UCI may also refer to: * Uganda Cancer In ...
, Pantani faced persistent allegations of doping throughout the rest of his career. Pantani has never been found using doping and has never been disqualified for doping. The trial for the 1999 Giro d'Italia irregular blood values began in April 2003 and Pantani was eventually acquitted because doping was not considered a crime by the law at that time. In early June 1999, a few days after Pantani was expelled from the 1999 Giro d'Italia, a court ordered the city of
Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
to compensate him for an accident in the 1995 edition of the
Milano–Torino Milano–Torino is a semi classic European single day cycling race, between the northern Italian cities of Milan and Turin over a distance of 199 kilometres. The event was first run in 1876 making it the oldest classic race in the world. The ...
that forced Pantani to undergo several surgeries and a long recovery to get back on his bike. A few days later, Italian prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello accused Pantani of a "sporting offence" after he discovered, by looking through trial and medical records, that Pantani's hematocrit after the accident was over 60 per cent. Although the results did not surface until 1999, the
UCI UCI most commonly refers to: * University of California, Irvine, a public university in Irvine, California, United States * Union Cycliste Internationale, the world governing body for the sport of cycling UCI may also refer to: * Uganda Cancer In ...
had decided to implement blood testing in early 1997, imposing a 50-per cent upper limit for hematocrit. A rider with a value above 50 per cent was given a compulsory two-week suspension. The test was designated as a "health test", although it was administered on suspicion that the athlete was using the banned blood-boosting drug, EPO. During the proceeding, investigators tried to find a reason for Pantani's high hematocrit values, including an hematocrit value of 57.6% recorded on 1 May 1995, at a hospital after he had an accident while training, an investigation in which the doctor pointed out the presence of abnormal hematological values. Upon Guariniello's request to see Pantani's medical record after his accident at the
1997 Giro d'Italia The 1997 Giro d'Italia was the 80th edition of the Giro d'Italia, Giro. It began on 17 May with a mass-start stage that began and ended in Venice. The race came to a close on 8 June with a mass-start stage that ended in the Italian city of Mil ...
, it was revealed that the blood test results had disappeared from the folder at the hospital and the police did not rule out "intentional removal". Pantani was eventually indicted on a so-called "fraud in sport", but his lawyers argued that Pantani's hematocrit may have been elevated by a combination of training at high altitude in September, suffering from
dehydration In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water that disrupts metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds intake, often resulting from excessive sweating, health conditions, or inadequate consumption of water. Mild deh ...
during the race,
trauma Trauma most often refers to: *Psychological trauma, in psychology and psychiatric medicine, refers to severe mental and emotional injury caused by distressing events *Traumatic injury, sudden physical injury caused by an external force, which doe ...
of his accident and a
margin of error The margin of error is a statistic expressing the amount of random sampling error in the results of a Statistical survey, survey. The larger the margin of error, the less confidence one should have that a poll result would reflect the result of ...
for the sampling method. The original case started in Turin but was moved to
Forlì Forlì ( ; ; ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is, together with Cesena, the capital of the Province of Forlì-Cesena.The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the east of the Montone river, ...
upon Pantani's lawyers' requests. Although he initially received a three-month
suspended sentence A suspended sentence is a sentence on conviction for a criminal offence, the serving of which the court orders to be deferred in order to allow the defendant to perform a period of probation. If the defendant does not break the law during that ...
, Pantani's lawyers appealed and the case was dismissed in late 2001 because the law itself had been passed only in 1999. In 1999, the Italian newspaper ''la Repubblica ''published information that linked Pantani to an investigation on the use of performance-enhancing substances in Italian sports. According to the information released by the newspaper, Francesco Conconi administered EPO to Italian athletes from 1993 to 1998, including Pantani and other cyclists of . It was revealed that Pantani's name appeared on a file marked "Dblab", seized from Conconi's Biomedical Research Institute at Ferrara, which detailed athlete's hematocrit levels between 1993 and 1995. In 1994, his haematocrit values fluctuated from 40.7% on 16 March, early in the season, to 54.55% on 23 May, during the first stages of the
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
. His values reached 58% on 8 June, after winning two stages of the race, and were 57.4% on 27 July, after the 1994 Tour de France, Tour de France. In March 1995, his hematocrit values had dropped to 45%, but they reached 56% in July during the 1995 Tour de France, Tour de France, where he won two stages; and over 60% in October, after the accident in the Milano–Torino. In 2004, Conconi and his two assistants were acquitted by judge Franca Oliva because the actions were not deemed illegal at the time, although they were deemed "morally guilty" of promoting doping. During the
2001 Giro d'Italia The 2001 Giro d'Italia was the 84th edition of the Giro. It began with a prologue that went from Montesilvano to Pescara. The race came to a close on June 10 with a mass-start stage that ended in the Italian city of Milan. Twenty teams enter ...
, a syringe containing traces of
insulin Insulin (, from Latin ''insula'', 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the insulin (''INS)'' gene. It is the main Anabolism, anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabol ...
was found in Pantani's room. Pantani claimed that the insulin had been False evidence, planted and that he did not stay in the room that night. In 2002, he was banned for eight months by the
Italian Cycling Federation The Italian Cycling Federation or FCI (in Italian: ''Federazione Ciclistica Italiana'') is the national governing body of cycle racing in Italy. The FCI is a member of the UCI and the UEC. History The Italian Cycling Federation was born, ...
, but he later won an appeal due to an absence of proof. In 2006, two years after his death, Pantani was linked to the Operación Puerto doping case. According to documentation released by Spanish radio network Cadena SER, Pantani was allegedly given the code name "PTNI" by Eufemiano Fuentes, with a detailed program in 2003, his last season, including EPO, growth hormone, Insulin, Levothroid and Insulin-like growth factor 1, IGF-1. Italian newspaper ''Corriere della Sera ''indicated that he was administered over 40,000 units of EPO, seven doses of growth hormone, thirty doses of anabolic steroids and four doses of hormones used to treat menopause. In 2006, Jesús Manzano, a Spanish professional
road racing cyclist Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most comm ...
whose statements led the Guardia Civil to conduct the Operación Puerto investigation, disclosed in an interview with French television channel France 3 that Pantani was a client of Fuentes. On the penultimate stage of 1998 Giro d'Italia, Pantani's teammate Riccardo Forconi was expelled from the race for an haematocrit value above 50 per cent. Ivano Fanini, the manager of , suggested during the early stages of 1999 Giro d'Italia that Pantani and Forconi had exchanged their blood samples in order to avoid Pantani's disqualification. According to Fanini, Forconi's haematocrit value was only 47 per cent the previous day. In 2008, Fanini further claimed that Forconi had received a house for the exchange but Forconi refuted these claims. Matt Rendell's biography of Pantani suggests he used erythropoietin, recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO) throughout his professional career. It alleges that seasonal
hematocrit The hematocrit () (Ht or HCT), also known by several other names, is the volume percentage (vol%) of red blood cells (RBCs) in blood, measured as part of a blood test. The measurement depends on the number and size of red blood cells. It is nor ...
levels from several sources showed variations which exceeded those possible naturally, and that Pantani's main victories were probably won also thanks to blood hematocrit levels which could have been up to 60%. A French senate report into doping released in July 2013 conjectured that Pantani, Jan Ullrich, Bobby Julich, Erik Zabel, Jacky Durand, Laurent Desbiens had tested positive for EPO during retroactive testing of samples from the 1998 Tour de France conducted in 2004 but the tests aren't valid because the samples taken didn't conform to antidoping standards.


Death

In the early evening of 14 February 2004, Pantani was found dead at a hotel in Rimini, Italy. An autopsy revealed he had cerebral edema and heart failure, and a coroner's inquest revealed acute cocaine poisoning. Pantani spent the last days of his life isolated from his friends and family and barricaded himself inside his hotel room. Pantani's ex-girlfriend Christina Jonsson, in an April 2004 interview to Swiss news magazine ''L'Hebdo'', indicated that following his expulsion from the
1999 Giro d'Italia The 1999 Giro d'Italia was the 82nd edition of the Giro. It began on May 15 with a mass-start stage that stretched from Agrigento to Modica. The race came to a close on June 6 with a mass-start stage that ended in the Italian city of Milan. E ...
, Pantani had confessed to her he had started using cocaine. In 2008, Fabio Carlino was convicted of supplying Pantani with a dose of ultra-pure cocaine that caused his death. The conviction was overturned in 2011 by the Court of Cassation (Italy), Court of Cassation after the acting Prosecutor expressed doubts regarding the verdict, while stating that he "had the impression that the exaggerated media publicity surrounding Mr. Pantani's death led the judges to an excessive attribution of responsibility." In 2016 the case was opened again, but shelved, and then yet again; with Italian prosecutors citing about fifty pages of new evidence to consider, in November 2021. Pantani was buried in his hometown,
Cesenatico Cesenatico () is a port town with about 26,000 inhabitants on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is located in the province of Forlì-Cesena in the region of Emilia-Romagna, about south of Ravenna. Cesenatico's port canal was surveyed and drawn by Le ...
. Twenty thousand mourners were at his funeral, which was attended by Franco Ballerini, Alberto Tomba, Azeglio Vicini, Mario Cipollini and Diego Maradona among others. During the funeral, his manager Manuela Ronchi read notes that Pantani had written in his passport during a trip to Cuba:
Miguel Induráin Miguel Induráin Larraya (; born 16 July 1964) is a retired Spanish road racing cyclist. Induráin won five Tours de France from 1991 Tour de France, 1991 to 1995 Tour de France, 1995, the fourth, and last, to win five times, and the only five- ...
, five-times
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
winner, praised Pantani by saying: "He got people hooked on the sport. There may be riders who have achieved more than him, but they never succeeded in drawing in the fans like he did."


Legacy

In the years following his death, Pantani was the subject of several articles, books, songs and a film. Biographies and accounts on the life of Pantani have been written by sports journalists John Wilcockson and Matt Rendell, among others. Manuela Ronchi, Pantani's manager for five years, published an account on the last few years of Pantani's life titled ''Man on the Run''. His mother Tonina Pantani also published a book in 2008 titled ' (''He Was My Son''). A graphic novel titled ' (''The Last Days of Marco Pantani'') was released in 2011, chronicling the events that led up to Pantani's death. It was based on a book published by French journalist Philippe Brunel, a friend of Pantani, suggesting that Pantani may have been murdered. Italian television RAI aired a television film in 2007 titled ''Il Pirata: Marco Pantani'', a biographical film which starred Rolando Ravello as Marco Pantani. A documentary on Pantani's life titled ''Pantani: The Accidental Death of a Cyclist'' was released in May 2014 in cinemas. The Memorial Marco Pantani has been organised annually since 2004 in his memory. The race starts in
Cesenatico Cesenatico () is a port town with about 26,000 inhabitants on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is located in the province of Forlì-Cesena in the region of Emilia-Romagna, about south of Ravenna. Cesenatico's port canal was surveyed and drawn by Le ...
, Pantani's hometown, and follows a route towards his birthplace,
Cesena Cesena (; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy; and - with Forlì - is the capital of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. Served by Autostrada A14 (Italy), Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine M ...
.
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
's organisers decided to dedicate a mountain pass to Pantani's memory every year. In 2004 Giro d'Italia, the 2004 edition, the first ''Cima Pantani'' was
Mortirolo Pass The Mortirolo Pass () (el. 1852 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Alps in Italy. Also known as Passo della Foppa, it connects Mazzo di Valtellina (province of Sondrio) and Val Camonica (province of Brescia). The road from Mazzo di Va ...
, a mountain that played a key role in Pantani's history. When Mortirolo was included in the Giro for the third time in 1994, Pantani attacked and left everyone behind to earn a win at
Aprica Aprica () is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Sondrio, Lombardy, northern Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, ...
. The 16th stage of 2004 Tour de France was dedicated to Pantani's memory. This stage was an
individual time trial An individual time trial (ITT) is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock (in French: ''contre la montre'' – literally "against the watch", in Italian: ''tappa a cronometro'' "stopwatch stage"). There are also trac ...
up to
Alpe d'Huez L'Alpe d'Huez () is a ski resort in Southeastern France at . It is a mountain pasture in the central French Western Alps, in the Communes of France, commune of Huez, which is part of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-R ...
, where Marco Pantani won in 1995 Tour de France, 1995 and 1997 Tour de France, 1997. A number of monuments and memorials have been erected in his honor at, among other places,
Mortirolo Pass The Mortirolo Pass () (el. 1852 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Alps in Italy. Also known as Passo della Foppa, it connects Mazzo di Valtellina (province of Sondrio) and Val Camonica (province of Brescia). The road from Mazzo di Va ...
, Colle Fauniera,
Col du Galibier The Col du Galibier (el. ) is a mountain pass in the southern region of the France, French Dauphiné Alps near Grenoble. It is the eighth List of highest paved roads in Europe, highest paved road in the Alps, and recurrently the List of highe ...
, and his hometown
Cesenatico Cesenatico () is a port town with about 26,000 inhabitants on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is located in the province of Forlì-Cesena in the region of Emilia-Romagna, about south of Ravenna. Cesenatico's port canal was surveyed and drawn by Le ...
.


Career achievements


Major results

Source: ;1990 : 3rd Overall
Girobio Giro Next Gen, also known as Baby Giro, Girobio, Giro d'Italia Giovani Under 23 or Giro Ciclistico d'Italia, is an Italian road bicycle racing amateur stage race created in 1970. The race is considered to be the most important race on Italy's U23 ...
;1991 : 2nd Overall
Girobio Giro Next Gen, also known as Baby Giro, Girobio, Giro d'Italia Giovani Under 23 or Giro Ciclistico d'Italia, is an Italian road bicycle racing amateur stage race created in 1970. The race is considered to be the most important race on Italy's U23 ...
::1st Stage 10 : 2nd Gran Premio di Poggiana ;1992 : 1st Overall
Girobio Giro Next Gen, also known as Baby Giro, Girobio, Giro d'Italia Giovani Under 23 or Giro Ciclistico d'Italia, is an Italian road bicycle racing amateur stage race created in 1970. The race is considered to be the most important race on Italy's U23 ...
::1st Stages 9 & 10 ;1993 : 5th Overall 1993 Giro del Trentino, Giro del Trentino : 6th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano : 9th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria ;1994 : 2nd Overall
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
::1st Stages 14 & 15 : 3rd Overall 1994 Tour de France, Tour de France ::1st Young rider classification in the Tour de France, Young rider classification : 4th Overall 1994 Giro del Trentino, Giro del Trentino : 4th
Giro di Toscana The Giro di Toscana is a road bicycle race held annually in Tuscany, Italy. From 2005 to 2014, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. The race was not held in 2015. On 4 April 2016 it was announced that the race will ...
: 4th GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano : 6th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato ;1995 : 1995 Tour de France, Tour de France ::1st Young rider classification in the Tour de France, Young rider classification ::1st Stages 10 & 14 : 1st Stage 8 1995 Tour de Suisse, Tour de Suisse : 3rd 1995 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race, Road race, 1995 UCI Road World Championships, UCI Road World Championships : 3rd Polynormande : 5th Giro dell'Appennino : 6th Subida a Urkiola : 7th
Gran Premio Città di Camaiore The Gran Premio Città di Camaiore was a road bicycle race held in Camaiore, Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital cit ...
;1997 : 2nd Overall À travers Lausanne : 3rd Overall 1997 Tour de France, Tour de France ::1st Stages 13 & 15 : 3rd Overall 1997 Tour of the Basque Country, Tour of the Basque Country : 4th Overall Critérium International : 5th 1997 La Flèche Wallonne, La Flèche Wallonne : 8th 1998 Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Liège–Bastogne–Liège : 10th Overall
Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme The Catalan Cycling Week (''Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme'' in Catalan language, Catalan) was a stage race, multi-stage road bicycle race held in Catalonia, Spain. Held annually from 1963 until 2005, it was run as a 2.HC race on the UCI Europe Tour ...
;1998 : 1st Overall
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
::1st Stages 11 & 15 : 1st Overall
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
::1st
Mountains classification The King of the Mountains (KoM) is an award given to the best climbing specialist in a men's cycling road race; in women's cycle racing, Queen of the Mountains (QoM) is used. While the title may be given to the rider who achieves the highest p ...
::1st Stages 14 & 19 : 1st Overall À travers Lausanne ::1st Stages 1 (Individual time trial, ITT) & 2 (Individual time trial, ITT) : 1st Boucles de l'Aulne, Circuit de l'Aulne : 3rd Overall 1998 Vuelta a Murcia, Vuelta a Murcia ::1st Mountains classification ::1st Stage 4a : 4th Overall 1998 Giro del Trentino, Giro del Trentino : 9th LuK Challenge Chrono, Breitling Grand Prix (with Massimo Podenzana) ;1999 : 1st Overall 1999 Vuelta a Murcia, Vuelta a Murcia ::1st Mountains classification ::1st Stage 4 :
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
::1st Stages 8, 15, 19 & 20 : 1st Stage 2
Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme The Catalan Cycling Week (''Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme'' in Catalan language, Catalan) was a stage race, multi-stage road bicycle race held in Catalonia, Spain. Held annually from 1963 until 2005, it was run as a 2.HC race on the UCI Europe Tour ...
: 3rd Overall 1999 Giro del Trentino, Giro del Trentino : 8th Overall 1999 Tour of the Basque Country, Tour of the Basque Country : 8th 1999 Clásica de Almería, Clásica de Almería ;2000 : 2000 Tour de France, Tour de France ::1st Stages 12 & 15 ;2003 : 10th Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali


Grand Tour general classification results timeline

Source:


Awards

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Vélo d'Or The Vélo d'Or (French for "Golden Bicycle") is an annual cycle racing award, given to the cyclist considered to have performed the best over the racing season. It is awarded by the French cycling magazine '' Vélo Magazine'', with the winner cho ...
: 1998


See also

* Pink jersey statistics * Yellow jersey statistics * List of Grand Tour general classification winners * List of Giro d'Italia general classification winners * List of Giro d'Italia classification winners * List of Tour de France general classification winners * List of Tour de France secondary classification winners * List of doping cases in cycling


Citations


References

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Further reading

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External links


Marco Pantani Foundation

History of Marco Pantani's bicycles
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pantani, Marco Italian male cyclists Tour de France winners Italian Tour de France stage winners Giro d'Italia winners Olympic cyclists for Italy Cyclists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Doping cases in cycling Italian sportspeople in doping cases Sportspeople from Cesena 1970 births 2004 deaths Drug-related deaths in Italy Cocaine-related deaths Tour de Suisse stage winners Italian Giro d'Italia stage winners Cyclists from the Province of Forlì-Cesena 20th-century Italian sportsmen