 Pantani climbing Alpe d'Huez in 1997 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marco Pantani | ||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Il Pirata ("The Pirate") Elefantino ("The Little Elephant")[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 13 January 1970 Cesena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy | ||||||||||||||
| Died | 14 February 2004 (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) | ||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Road | ||||||||||||||
| Role | Rider | ||||||||||||||
| Rider type | Climber | ||||||||||||||
| Amateur teams | |||||||||||||||
| 1989 | G.S. Rinascita Ravenna | ||||||||||||||
| 1990–1992 | G.S. Giacobazzi-Nonantola | ||||||||||||||
| Professional teams | |||||||||||||||
| 1992–1996 | Carrera Jeans–Vagabond | ||||||||||||||
| 1997–2003 | Mercatone Uno | ||||||||||||||
| Major wins | |||||||||||||||
Grand Tours
| |||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||
Marco Pantani (Italian: [ˈmarko panˈtaːni]; 13 January 1970 – 14 February 2004) was an Italian road racing cyclist, widely regarded as one of the greatest climbing specialists 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)[2] and Alpe d'Huez (36:50),[3] and other cyclists including Lance Armstrong and Charly Gaul have hailed Pantani's climbing skills.[4][5] He is the second to last rider and one of only eight to ever win the Tour de France – Giro d'Italia double, doing so in 1998. He is the sixth of seven Italians, after Ottavio Bottecchia, Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, Gastone Nencini and Felice Gimondi, and before Vincenzo Nibali 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 and earrings he wore.[6] At 1.72 metres (5.6 ft) and 57 kilograms (126 lb), he was said to have the classic build for a mountain climber.[7] His style has been contrasted with that of time-trialling experts such as the five-time Tour winner Miguel Induráin.[8]
Although Pantani never tested positive during his career, his career was beset by doping allegations. In the 1999 Giro d'Italia, he was expelled due to his irregular blood values. Although he was disqualified for "health reasons", it was implied that Pantani's high haematocrit was the product of EPO use. Following later accusations, Pantani went into a severe depression from which he never fully recovered, ultimately leading to his death in 2004.
- ^ Vergne, Laurent (22 July 2015). "Cannibale, Chéri-pipi, Wookie, Andy torticolis… le Top 20 des surnoms mythiques du cyclisme" [Cannibal, Chéri-pipi, Wookie, Andy Torticollis... the Top 20 mythical nicknames of cycling]. Eurosport (in French). Retrieved 11 April 2016.
- ^ "Alpe d'Huez – Alpes". ChronosWatts. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ "Mont Ventoux (jusqu'au sommet) – Préalpes". ChronosWatts. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ Pugliese, Mario (1 October 2016). "Vous êtes mon idole". inbici.net. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ Armstrong, Lance (13 February 2014). "Armstrong: If I was the carpenter, Pantani was the artist". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ Jeff Jones & Tim Maloney (15 February 2004). "Pantani dead at 34". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
- ^ John, John (12 December 2005). "Gaul and Pantani, an Angel and a Pirate". dailypeloton.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ^ Alasdair Fotheringham (16 February 2004). "Marco Pantani, Record-breaking cyclist dogged by doping stories". The Independent. UK. Archived from the original on 4 February 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2010.