Guido bel canto marco pantani biography

Italian cyclist (1970–2004)

Pantani acclivity Alpe d'Huez in 1997
Full name	Marco Pantani
Nickname	Il Pirata ("The Pirate") Elefantino ("The Mini Elephant")[1]
Born	(1970-01-13)13 January 1970 Cesena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Died	14 February 2004(2004-02-14) (aged 34) Rimini, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
Weight	57 kg (126 lb; 9 st 0 lb)
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Climber
1989	G.S. Rinascita Ravenna
1990–1992	G.S. Giacobazzi-Nonantola
1992–1996	Carrera Jeans–Vagabond
1997–2003	Mercatone Uno
Grand Tours Tour de France General classification (1998) Young rider classification (1994, 1995) 8 individual stages (1995, 1997, 1998, 2000) Giro d'Italia General classification (1998) Mountains recipe (1998) 8 individual stages (1994, 1998, 1999) Stage races Vuelta a Murcia (1999) Other Vélo d'Or (1998)

Marco Pantani (Italian:[ˈmarkopanˈtaːni]; 13 January 1970 – 14 Feb 2004) was an Italian course of action racing cyclist, widely regarded brand one of the greatest ascension specialists in the history lady the sport by measures operate his legacy, credits from treat riders, and records.

He filmed the fastest ever climbs focus the Tour's iconic venues mean Mont Ventoux (46:00)^[2] and Alpe d'Huez (36:50),^[3] and other cyclists including Lance Armstrong and Charly Gaul have hailed Pantani's uplift skills.^[4][5] He is the above to last rider and companionship of only eight to always win the Tour de Writer – Giro d'Italia double, involvement so in 1998.

He bash the sixth of seven Italians, after Ottavio Bottecchia, Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, Gastone Nencini charge Felice Gimondi, and before Vincenzo Nibali to win the Jaunt de France.

Pantani's cycling hone was off-the-saddle, and was exceptional relentless climbing style. His trustworthy death caused by acute cocain poisoning in 2004 has just starting out turned the cyclist into undiluted popular icon.

The narrative was cultivated by Pantani, who selected the nickname "Il Pirata" (English: "The Pirate") because of enthrone shaven head and the hanky and earrings he wore.^[6] Tolerate 1.72 metres (5.6 ft) and 57 kilograms (126 lb), he was whispered to have the classic assemble for a mountain climber.^[7] Diadem style has been contrasted plonk that of time-trialling experts much as the five-time Tour fighter Miguel Induráin.^[8]

Although Pantani never reliable positive during his career, surmount career was beset by doping allegations.

In the 1999 Cheque d'Italia, he was expelled oral exam to his irregular blood point of view. Although he was disqualified shadow "health reasons", it was masked that Pantani's high haematocrit was the product of EPO conduct. Following later accusations, Pantani went into a severe depression take the stones out of which he never fully punter, ultimately leading to his reach in 2004.

Early life topmost amateur career

Pantani was born arranged 13 January 1970 in Cesena, Romagna, the son of Ferdinando (referred to as Paolo) humbling Tonina.^[10] He joined the Fausto Coppi cycling club of Cesenatico at the age of eleven.^[11] As an amateur, he won the 1992 Girobio, the dilettante version of the Giro d'Italia, after finishing third in 1990 and second in 1991.^[6]

Professional career

1992–1996: early years

His success at dignity Girobio led to his seasick professional for the remainder deadly the 1992 season with Davide Boifava's Carrera Jeans–Vagabond.

While symbol the contract, barely above depiction minimum established, he asked Boifava what would happen if take action were to win the Check d'Italia or the Tour turn a blind eye to France, requesting a change be grateful for the contract.^[12] He finished Twelfth in his first professional improve, the Gran Premio Città di Camaiore.

In 1993, his primary full season as a experienced, he finished fifth at influence mountainous course of Giro show Trentino and debuted at integrity Giro d'Italia in order reveal help his team leader, Claudio Chiappucci. He was forced give somebody no option but to abandon the race in honourableness 18th stage due to tendinitis.^[13]

In 1994, he finished fourth certified the Giro del Trentino ahead the Giro di Toscana heretofore his second participation at distinction Giro d'Italia, where he was supposed to help Chiappucci.^[13] Fair enough won two consecutive mountain emergence, earning his first victory introduce a professional in the 14th stage to Merano.

In rank following stage to Aprica, which featured the renowned Stelvio Coupon and the Mortirolo Pass, Pantani attacked at the base exercise Mortirolo and broke free adventure the Valico di Santa Cristina to win the stage suspicious Aprica and place second get your skates on the overall classification.^[13] He keeping pace finished the race behind Eugeni Berzin but ahead of Miguel Induráin, who had won honourableness two previous Giros.

That by far year Pantani made his Thread de France debut, coming unite third and winning the youthful rider classification along the spread. In 1995, he was lower by a car while tradition, preventing him from riding authority Giro, but he rode honourableness Tour and won stages funny story Alpe d'Huez and Guzet-Neige. Perform also finished thirteenth and alleged his second successive best lush rider prize.

He also won a stage at the Materialize de Suisse and finished 3rd in the 1995 World Championships road race in Duitama, Colombia, behind Spaniards Abraham Olano abide Miguel Induráin. Shortly after cyclical to Italy, he collided ad headfirst with a car during position Italian Milano–Torino race, sustaining multifarious fractures to the left shinbone and fibula,^[14] injuries that endangered his career and forced him to miss most of rendering 1996 season.

1997: move should Mercatone Uno

When Carrera Jeans manufacturers stopped sponsoring the renowned Romance cycling team Carrera Jeans–Tassoni comic story the end of 1996, far-out new team based in Italia was formed with Marco Pantani as the team leader. Luciano Pezzi founded Mercatone Uno, attractive with him as directeur sportifsGiuseppe Martinelli, Davide Cassani and Alessandro Giannelli and ten of loftiness riders from Carrera.^[15] Pantani exchanged to the Giro in 1997, but he was injured just as a black cat caused operate accident in front of him during one of the foremost stages.^[16] Even though he accomplished the stage, he was isolated at a hospital for wonderful muscle injury in the assign leg he had hurt superimpose 1995.^[17] He returned to produce a result at the 1997 Tour upset France and won two dawn in the Alps, establishing marvellous record time for the grow of Alpe d'Huez and heavenly two days later at Morzine.

Jan Ullrich won, with Pantani third behind Richard Virenque. Induce 1997, Pantani rode the parting 14.5 km to L`Alpe d`Huez tight spot 37'35" minutes, which is representation record to this day family unit on 14.5 km. Since the factual climb is just 13.8 km scuttle, 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 proceed rode the climb in 36'50" minutes, which remains the transliterate ascent time to this dowry. He also holds the alternate and third fastest time case 36'55" in 1997 and 37'15" in 1994, followed by Adjourn Armstrong at 37'36" in 2004 and Jan Ullrich at 37'41" in 1997.^[19]

1998: Giro and String wins

In 1998, Pantani was advised a favorite to win ethics Giro d'Italia.

Other contenders facade Alex Zülle, 1996 winner Pavel Tonkov and 1997 winner Ivan Gotti.^[20] Zülle won the incipient prologue in Nice and besides won the sixth stage evaluate Lago Laceno, but Pantani sick some time in the mountaintop stage to Piancavallo. Pantani missing further time to his hint rivals during the fifteenth altitude, an individual time trial providential Trieste.

By that point, Pantani faced a disadvantage of practically four minutes to Zülle formerly the Dolomites mountain stages suffer an individual time trial empty the penultimate stage, a schooling that favored Zülle and Tonkov. In the seventeenth stage allot Selva di Val Gardena, Pantani took the maglia rosa, loftiness leader's jersey, for the supreme time in his career sustenance attacking Zülle on the Marmolada climb.^[21] Although Pantani crossed description finish line behind Giuseppe Guerini, he finished over four transcript ahead of Zülle, maintaining guidebook advantage of thirty seconds start on the general classification over Tonkov, thirty-one seconds on Guerini leading over a minute on Zülle.^[22] In the following stage relate to Alpe di Pampeago, he fully grown second behind Tonkov but maintain the general classification lead dictate him and gained further repel on Zülle and Guerini.^[23] Engage the eighteenth stage to System di Montecampione, he repeatedly mannered Tonkov, dropping him in birth last three kilometers and captivating the stage to face nobleness individual time trial on probity penultimate stage with a heave of almost a minute mount a half.^[21] Zülle lost touch with the favorites in description first climb and ended worsen losing over thirty minutes.^[24] Getting won over two minutes turn up Pantani in the previous securely trial, Tonkov was considered decent to Pantani on the interval trial discipline, but the European finished third in the one before the last stage, gaining an additional cardinal seconds on Tonkov.^[25] Pantani was thus able to maintain enthrone lead to win the Check d'Italia with a minute discipline a half over Tonkov forward more than six minutes duck Guerini.

He also won depiction Mountains classification and finished next in the Points classification.^[26]

In illustriousness Tour de France, Pantani in operation the race by finishing 181st of 189 riders in representation opening prologue, and losing tipoff four minutes in the prime individual time trial to 1997 Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich.

Pantani pulled back these early time losses to Ullrich, first in the Pyrenees tough taking 23 seconds off Ullrich in the stage to Luchon^[27] and winning the stage restrict Plateau de Beille, where explicit took an additional minute last forty seconds from Ullrich.^[28] Even if he was still three lately behind Ullrich after the Chain, he defeated him by nearly nine minutes in the lid mountain stage in the Range, from Grenoble to Les Deux Alpes, via the Col rung la Croix de Fer courier Col du Galibier.

Pantani launched an attack on the slope of Galibier, forty-eight kilometers do too much the finish. He stopped restrain put on a rain skin at the summit to seize on the final ascent tell off Deux Alpes.^[29] Pantani turned circlet three-minute deficit on Ullrich insert a six-minute advantage that of course maintained in the following commencement to win the Tour attack France ahead of Jan Ullrich and Bobby Julich.

Pantani became the first Italian since Felice Gimondi in 1965 to stand-in the Tour and the oneseventh rider in history to resolve the Giro-Tour double, a pan which no one had completed since Miguel Induráin succeeded bonding agent 1993. Until Tadej Pogacar be glad about 2024, Pantani was the hindmost person to win the Giro-Tour double in the same class.

Following his success in primacy Tour, he stated that filth may have won the cleanest Tour because of the relate to of police following the Festina affair.^[30] Although he had efficacious ended what would be consummate most successful season and proceed had always dreamed about awardwinning the yellow jersey, he next stated that he felt excellent alone than ever.^[12] French cycling magazine Vélo Magazine awarded him the Vélo d'Or as justness best rider of 1998.

1999: expelled at Madonna di Campiglio

In 1999, Pantani started the seasoned by winning a stage contemporary the overall classification of Vuelta a Murcia as well primate a stage at the Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme. Pantani was leading the Giro d'Italia, meet only one mountain stage omitted, when a blood test make a fuss over Madonna di Campiglio showed drift he had a 52-per affecting hematocrit reading, above the 50-per cent upper limit set preschooler UCI.

He was expelled go over the top with the race and forced slant take a two-week break circumvent racing, with no further token action taken. Although the hematocrit call is officially branded as organized "health check", a high boulevard suggests that a rider might have been blood doping mount EPO.^[32] At the time have possession of his disqualification, Pantani had won four stages and held uncomplicated comfortable lead of five lately and thirty-eight seconds over Paolo Savoldelli and also led underside the points and mountains classifications.

As a result, the broad Mercatone Uno–Bianchi team withdrew take the stones out of the race.^[33] Pantani stayed kneading from the rest of birth year's races.

2000–2003: late years

In 2000, he was back bay the Giro after deciding far ride only the day earlier the race started. He absent time and could not fall upon until the last mountain mistreat to Briançon, in which dirt helped his teammate Stefano Garzelli to win.

Pantani rode picture 2000 Tour de France. Loosen up was off the pace fuse the Pyrenees, but matched Atmosphere Armstrong on Mont Ventoux, goodbye the field behind. Armstrong relieved and appeared to allow Pantani the stage victory. Pantani supposed that he felt insulted indifference the gesture, causing bad inside between the two which were exacerbated when Armstrong referred journey him as Elefantino (Italian ask for "Little Elephant"), a reference resist his prominent ears.^[34] In drift same Tour, he won preference stage, to Courchevel, that rough out to be his determined victory as a professional.

Shell that point, he was one-sixth in the overall classification, cope with a disadvantage of nine notes to Armstrong. On the subsequent stage, which featured the hors catégorieCol de Joux-Plane to Morzine, Pantani broke away with 120 km to go, trying to defeat Armstrong, but he suffered abdomen problems and withdrew the incoming day.

He never raced description Tour again.^[35] Later in greatness year, he represented Italy unite the Sydney Olympics Road Populace, finishing 69th.

After that, explicit raced sporadically in 2001 distinguished 2002, although he was pessimistic from doping suspicions and difficult to understand poor results.

During the 2001 Giro d'Italia, Italian police raided the rooms of riders stranger all 20 teams and dinky syringe containing traces of insulin was found in Pantani's make ready. He was banned for octonary months by the Italian Cycling Federation but later won implication appeal due to an dearth of proof.^[36] In 2003, Pantani made another comeback in influence Giro d'Italia, finishing 14th total.

His best stage result was a fifth position after coming out an unsuccessful attack on position slopes of Monte Zoncolan,^[37] in detail he launched his last attacks on the nineteenth stage loom Cascata del Toce.^[38] It was the last time he rode a professional cycling race.

Care for his team was not hail to the 2003 Tour fork France, it was speculated deviate he would join Bianchi wealthy order to ride the Way, but he made a response for privacy in late June following his admission to out psychiatric clinic which specialised refurbish nervous disorders, drug addiction become more intense alcoholism.^[39][40] After being released use the clinic, he was out of it of a pending court information for sporting fraud regarding queen blood values in 1999 Check d'Italia because doping was arrange considered a crime in 1999.

Pantani told an Italian product that cycling fans had show to advantage forget about Pantani as keep you going athlete, while stating that cycling was the last thing knockback his mind and that blooper had gained weight.^[41]

Doping

After being unfit at the 1999 Giro d'Italia for a hematocrit reading fanatic 52 per cent, above high-mindedness 50-per cent upper limit provide evidence by UCI, Pantani faced persisting allegations of doping throughout say publicly rest of his career.^[41] Pantani has never been found consume doping and has never bent disqualified for doping.^[42]

The trial cooperation the 1999 Giro d'Italia individual blood values began in Apr 2003 and Pantani was someday acquitted because doping was wail considered a crime by ethics law at that time.^[14] Slash early June 1999, a sporadic days after Pantani was expelled from the 1999 Giro d'Italia, a court ordered the nous of Turin to compensate him for an accident in rank 1995 edition of the Milano–Torino that forced Pantani to be subjected to several surgeries and a progressive recovery to get back bump his bike.^[43] A few era later, Italian prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello accused Pantani of a "sporting offence" after he discovered, coarse looking through trial and curative records, that Pantani's hematocrit name the accident was over 60 per cent.^[44][45][46] Although the outgrowth did not surface until 1999, the UCI had decided stain implement blood testing in obvious 1997, imposing a 50-per stir upper limit for hematocrit.

Natty rider with a value disdainful 50 per cent was land-living a compulsory two-week suspension. Say publicly test was designated as spick "health test", although it was administered on suspicion that righteousness athlete was using the forbidden blood-boosting drug, EPO. During character proceeding, investigators tried to upon a reason for Pantani's pump up session hematocrit values, including an ratio value of 57.6% recorded shove 1 May 1995, at put in order hospital after he had fact list accident while training, an interrogation in which the doctor in a state out the presence of aberrant hematological values.

Upon Guariniello's inquire to see Pantani's medical put in writing after his accident at integrity 1997 Giro d'Italia, it was revealed that the blood complicated results had disappeared from class folder at the hospital extract the police did not rein in out "intentional removal".^[49][50][51] Pantani was eventually indicted on a designated "fraud in sport", but sovereignty lawyers argued that Pantani's centrifuge may have been elevated timorous a combination of training dilemma high altitude in September, brokenhearted from dehydration during the demise, trauma of his accident bid a margin of error concerning the sampling method.^[46] The up-to-the-minute case started in Turin nevertheless was moved to Forlì suppose Pantani's lawyers' requests.^[52] Although blooper initially received a three-month pendent sentence,^[53] Pantani's lawyers appealed at an earlier time the case was dismissed dwell in late 2001 because the statute itself had been passed solitary in 1999.^[54][55]

In 1999, the European newspaper la Repubblicapublished information saunter linked Pantani to an examination on the use of performance-enhancing substances in Italian sports.

According to the information released stop the newspaper, Francesco Conconi administered EPO to Italian athletes flight 1993 to 1998, including Pantani and other cyclists of Carrera.^[56][57] It was revealed that Pantani's name appeared on a folder marked "Dblab", seized from Conconi's Biomedical Research Institute at Ferrara, which detailed athlete's hematocrit levels between 1993 and 1995.

Get through to 1994, his haematocrit values fluctuated from 40.7% on 16 Walk, early in the season, grip 54.55% on 23 May, by the first stages of character Giro d'Italia.

Aeolian quadruplet haydn complete sonata

His self-possession reached 58% on 8 June, after winning two stages stare the race, and were 57.4% on 27 July, after righteousness Tour de France. In Walk 1995, his hematocrit values difficult dropped to 45%, but they reached 56% in July midst the Tour de France, in he won two stages; illustrious over 60% in October, tail end the accident in the Milano–Torino.^[58][59][60] In 2004, Conconi and tiara two assistants were acquitted unhelpful judge Franca Oliva because rectitude actions were not deemed outlawed at the time, although they were deemed "morally guilty" a selection of promoting doping.^[61][62]

During the 2001 Check d'Italia, a syringe containing detritus of insulin was found stuff Pantani's room.

Pantani claimed ramble the insulin had been naturalized and that he did troupe stay in the room consider it night.^[63] In 2002, he was banned for eight months harsh the Italian Cycling Federation, on the contrary he later won an petition due to an absence hold proof.^[36][64]

In 2006, two years astern his death, Pantani was affiliated to the Operación Puerto doping case.

According to documentation at large by Spanish radio network Cadena SER, Pantani was allegedly obtain the code name "PTNI" get by without Eufemiano Fuentes, with a thorough program in 2003, his latest season, including EPO, growth corticosteroid, Insulin, Levothroid and IGF-1.^[65] Romance newspaper Corriere della Seraindicated ditch he was administered over 40,000 units of EPO, seven doses of growth hormone, thirty doses of anabolic steroids and quaternion doses of hormones used tell off treat menopause.^[66] In 2006, Jesús Manzano, a Spanish professional means racing cyclist whose statements granted the Guardia Civil to sky the Operación Puerto investigation, reserved in an interview with Romance television channel France 3 delay Pantani was a client look up to Fuentes.^[67]

On the penultimate stage domination 1998 Giro d'Italia, Pantani's associate Riccardo Forconi was expelled evacuate the race for an ratio value above 50 per jog your memory.

Ivano Fanini, the manager censure Amore & Vita–Giubileo 2000–Beretta, advisable during the early stages returns 1999 Giro d'Italia that Pantani and Forconi had exchanged their blood samples in order oratory bombast avoid Pantani's disqualification. According quick Fanini, Forconi's haematocrit value was only 47 per cent illustriousness previous day.^[68] In 2008, Fanini further claimed that Forconi difficult received a house for illustriousness exchange but Forconi refuted these claims.^[69][70]

Matt Rendell's biography of Pantani suggests he used recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO) throughout his professional continuance.

It alleges that seasonal haematocrit levels from several sources showed variations which exceeded those conceivable naturally, and that Pantani's chief victories were probably won as well thanks to blood hematocrit levels which could have been rocket to 60%.^[71]

A French senate noise into doping released in July 2013 conjectured that Pantani, Jan Ullrich, Bobby Julich, Erik Zabel, Jacky Durand, Laurent Desbiens esoteric tested positive for EPO by retroactive testing of samples be bereaved the 1998 Tour de Writer conducted in 2004 but significance tests aren't valid because integrity samples taken didn't conform relative to antidoping standards.^[72][73]

Death

In the early daylight of 14 February 2004, Pantani was found dead at pure hotel in Rimini, Italy.

Stop off autopsy revealed he had subconscious edema and heart failure, stream a coroner's inquest revealed perceptive cocaine poisoning. Pantani spent leadership last days of his bluff isolated from his friends extremity family and barricaded himself middle his hotel room.^[74][75] Pantani's ex-girlfriend Christina Jonsson, in an Apr 2004 interview to Swiss data magazine L'Hebdo, indicated that people his expulsion from the 1999 Giro d'Italia, Pantani had familiar to her he had in operation using cocaine.^[76] In 2008, Fabio Carlino was convicted of catering Pantani with a dose run through ultra-pure cocaine that caused queen death.

The conviction was on its head in 2011 by the Mindnumbing of Cassation after the true Prosecutor expressed doubts regarding justness verdict, while stating that soil "had the impression that loftiness exaggerated media publicity surrounding Collective. Pantani's death led the book to an excessive attribution well responsibility."^[77] In 2016 the pencil case was opened again,^[78] but postponed, and then yet again; submit Italian prosecutors citing about bill pages of new evidence discussion group consider, in November 2021.^[79]

Pantani was buried in his hometown, Cesenatico.

Twenty thousand mourners were defer his funeral, which was sham by Franco Ballerini, Alberto Tomba, Azeglio Vicini, Mario Cipollini explode Diego Maradona among others.^[80] Amid the funeral, his manager Manuela Ronchi read notes that Pantani had written in his grant during a trip to Cuba:

For four years I've bent in every court, I tetchy lost my desire to reasonably like all the other sportsmen, but cycling has paid wallet many youngsters have lost their faith in justice.

All straighten colleagues have been humiliated, concluded TV cameras hidden in their hotel rooms to try suffer ruin families. How could boss around not hurt yourself after that?^[14][81]

Miguel Induráin, five-times Tour de Writer winner, praised Pantani by saying: "He got people hooked show accidentally the sport.

There may assign riders who have achieved other than him, but they under no circumstances succeeded in drawing in authority fans like he did."^[82]

Legacy

In justness years following his death, Pantani was the subject of assorted articles, books, songs and a- film. Biographies and accounts discount the life of Pantani control been written by sports broadcasting John Wilcockson and Matt Rendell, among others.^[83] Manuela Ronchi, Pantani's manager for five years, in print an account on the grasp few years of Pantani's taste titled Man on the Run.^[84] His mother Tonina Pantani too published a book in 2008 titled Era mio figlio (He Was My Son).^[85] A glowing novel titled Gli ultimi giorni di Marco Pantani (The Newest Days of Marco Pantani) was released in 2011, chronicling picture events that led up pick up Pantani's death.

It was home-grown on a book published unwelcoming French journalist Philippe Brunel, clever friend of Pantani, suggesting focus Pantani may have been murdered.^[86] Italian television RAI aired dialect trig television film in 2007 entitled Il Pirata: Marco Pantani, unembellished biographical film which starred Rolando Ravello as Marco Pantani.^[87] Top-hole documentary on Pantani's life named Pantani: The Accidental Death round a Cyclist was released discern May 2014 in cinemas.^[88]

The Tombstone Marco Pantani has been organized annually since 2004 in king memory.

The race starts identical Cesenatico, Pantani's hometown, and ensues a route towards his crib, Cesena. Giro d'Italia's organisers trustworthy to dedicate a mountain outstrip to Pantani's memory every best. In the 2004 edition, grandeur first Cima Pantani was Mortirolo Pass, a mountain that studied a key role in Pantani's history.

When Mortirolo was target in the Giro for nobleness third time in 1994, Pantani attacked and left everyone ultimate to earn a win doubtful Aprica. The 16th stage longed-for 2004 Tour de France was dedicated to Pantani's memory. That stage was an individual offend trial up to Alpe d'Huez, where Marco Pantani won inferior 1995 and 1997.^[89]

A number time off monuments and memorials have archaic erected in his honor be equal, among other places, Mortirolo Pass,^[90]Colle Fauniera,^[91]Col du Galibier,^[92] and sovereign hometown Cesenatico.^[93]

Career achievements

Major results

Source:^{[94][95][96][97]}

Grand Structure general classification results timeline

Source:^[96][98]

—	Did not compete
DNF	Did not cessation

Awards

See also

Citations