No news links yet, but former winner of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia Marco Pantani has been found dead in a hotel room in Rimini, Italy. The official cause of his death is still unknown.
Former top racing cyclist Pantani, nicknamed "the elephant" and "the pirate", was one of the best uphill cyclists in the second part of the 90's, but had been in a downward spiral since he was disqualified from a leading position with only a few days left in the Giro '99, after failing a certain blood test (which could implicate the use of EPO); he had struggled with physical and mental problems ever since, as well as legal problems concerning sports drugs.

Pantani was 34 years old at the moment of his death.

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/gros.braquet...fs/Pantani.jpg

More news later.

[ 02-14-2004, 06:30 PM: Message edited by: Grojlach ]

This sucks man! :(

RIP!

:( - what a waste - I cheered him on in his Tour de France win - at his peak he was am absolute giant in the mountain stages.

a sad day for cycling indeed :(

I wonder how many cyclers will be TRULY sad about Pantani's death.

Why do you think they won`t be?

Could it be suicide?

I doubt. I thik his heart just stopped becuase of all the doping drugs.

I think that whole Italy and biking world will be in black some of these days. :( :(

[ 02-15-2004, 06:29 AM: Message edited by: Xen ]

I think it was suicide as Link stated. Becuase in his rooms there were several boxes of pills.


I feel very sorry for him. He had problems becuase he sufferd from depresion and no one was there to support him. :( :(


Really sad thing...