ChromeChainstay
Senior Retro Guru
hit watch on youtube
Pantani Film Full ~ Accidental death of a Cyclist *youtube
- Thread starter ChromeChainstay
- Start date
hit watch on youtube
Rapparee87
Retro Guru
Had the privilege of meeting him at the team hotel during the 98 Tour, which started here in Ireland. A gentleman.
Frankenorange
Orange 🍊 Fan
I was in Bologna the day it happened. Went to Rimini the next day and stood outside the hotel.
A good balanced film.
Certainly shows the tragic side of competitive sport. What I did find curious his mother seemed in denial and seemed to have almost conspiracy theories that it wasn't his own doing - effectively though in his younger years he had immense personal drive and didn't shy away punching above his weight. Think I will always remember him for giving Armstrong some deserved stick and an absolute head-ache for his bike builders.
Certainly shows the tragic side of competitive sport. What I did find curious his mother seemed in denial and seemed to have almost conspiracy theories that it wasn't his own doing - effectively though in his younger years he had immense personal drive and didn't shy away punching above his weight. Think I will always remember him for giving Armstrong some deserved stick and an absolute head-ache for his bike builders.
Nothin-fancy
Dirt Disciple
I came across this book awhile ago. Okay read with some cool photos, but a little too much fanboy'ing for me. While he may have been good as a young'n. By the time he was in the pro's he definitely seemed to be a rider of the EPO times.
That's my two cents and you can't buy much these days with two cents.
That's my two cents and you can't buy much these days with two cents.
jim haseltine
Senior Retro Guru
The Pantani film is shown regularly on one of the UK cable tv channels.
Canuk
Old School Grand Master
I watched this a few months ago, a very sad end to a glittering career cut short - it seems Armstrong really had it in for him and made some very disparaging comments on live TV just when Pantani was at his lowest ebb.
We were lucky enough to ride alongside Pantani (even if it was just a few minutes) on the run in to the final climb of the '97 Rominger Classic in Switzerland. A ripple went through the bunch 'Pantani is coming ', apparently be had started a few minutes late, caught up and then this tiny little guy sailed past us being towed by a huge lead out team mate towards the foot of the climb, up to the ski station at Crans Montana. As soon as the climb started he took off at a sprint and we never saw him again.
I clocked him straight away and got such a shock I nearly brought down two riders beside me! Of course he went on to win the event. We were hoping to catch up with him at the finish, but by the time we got to the finish line, (59 minutes later) he was off home on his way back to Italy. We had to make do with an talian pasta party and a free Colnago jersey. Even with only a few minutes exposure to Pantani, you could tell there was a great aura about him, and calmness. I guess the reason Armstrong took so badly against him was that he was the only plausible competition, the only real threat to him winning the Tour.
You can't help but think there's something to the conspiracy theories, the way he took the opposition apart in the '98 Giro. Like it's said in the film, it wasn't just a beating he handed out - it was a humiliation of his fellow competitors. Jalabert, the then great hope of French cycling, looked like an amateur in his company. Perhaps he was just too good. Perhaps there were vested interests at both the official level (it's also suggested the hard betting Italian mafia had it in for him too) who had much to gain by forcing Pantani to 'retire'.
We'll likely never know, but as said in the film, it was very odd on the day that he was suspended from the Giro for having 50%+ EPO (a naturally occurring substance produced by the body) in his blood, nearly every significant figure from all the major cycling bodies were at the finish line to give their tuppence on live TV. Very sad that he died totally alone in a hotel room. There is still a fair bit of controversy about that test, it's timing, the equipment used, and the way and schedule the results were released.
We were lucky enough to ride alongside Pantani (even if it was just a few minutes) on the run in to the final climb of the '97 Rominger Classic in Switzerland. A ripple went through the bunch 'Pantani is coming ', apparently be had started a few minutes late, caught up and then this tiny little guy sailed past us being towed by a huge lead out team mate towards the foot of the climb, up to the ski station at Crans Montana. As soon as the climb started he took off at a sprint and we never saw him again.
I clocked him straight away and got such a shock I nearly brought down two riders beside me! Of course he went on to win the event. We were hoping to catch up with him at the finish, but by the time we got to the finish line, (59 minutes later) he was off home on his way back to Italy. We had to make do with an talian pasta party and a free Colnago jersey. Even with only a few minutes exposure to Pantani, you could tell there was a great aura about him, and calmness. I guess the reason Armstrong took so badly against him was that he was the only plausible competition, the only real threat to him winning the Tour.
You can't help but think there's something to the conspiracy theories, the way he took the opposition apart in the '98 Giro. Like it's said in the film, it wasn't just a beating he handed out - it was a humiliation of his fellow competitors. Jalabert, the then great hope of French cycling, looked like an amateur in his company. Perhaps he was just too good. Perhaps there were vested interests at both the official level (it's also suggested the hard betting Italian mafia had it in for him too) who had much to gain by forcing Pantani to 'retire'.
We'll likely never know, but as said in the film, it was very odd on the day that he was suspended from the Giro for having 50%+ EPO (a naturally occurring substance produced by the body) in his blood, nearly every significant figure from all the major cycling bodies were at the finish line to give their tuppence on live TV. Very sad that he died totally alone in a hotel room. There is still a fair bit of controversy about that test, it's timing, the equipment used, and the way and schedule the results were released.
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