1999 Giro -Pantani - old footage
 

Wish I could understand Italian
Love the way he could climb while in the drops

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-J2bIsPDH8

Very bittersweet.

Awesome, dope or no dope that chase took some guts. Not even a hand lifted at the finish line.

That era, playing field was pretty flat...I like Il Pirate.

So do I.

I like him too. That said, word is that the playing field was not level even for the big guys. Most money = best doctors and best 'prep'.

Don't wish to get embroiled in the doping debate. It happened and everyone loved the riding back then. I think Pantani would have been just as spectacular in the mountains with or without enhancements. But he never would have been a Tour or Giro winner. The TTs would never have been possible.

I had a buddy when I lived in Europe who raced against Pantani in the so-called Baby Giro in about 1990. Guy was better than anyone else then too.

Very tragic end to his life and cycling is poorer for him being gone.

Edit: I think 1999 was the year he was ejected for elevated blood values. I was rather shocked that a national hero was thrown out, but it goes to show that even then there were those taking the problem seriously.

One more edit: People often forget that he returned from a terrible crash only about 3 years prior to this. He had a very bad compound leg fracture in a race and I thought his career might be over. Enhancements or not, this return to the highest level took raw courage and hard work.

He was a genius on the bike
 

am·biv·a·lent
/amˈbivələnt/
Adjective
Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.

thanks for posting.

I liked him, too. Not a robot. Had the balls to tell LA to eff off (on and off the bike), when few did. His suicide breakaways were epic. And he rode a Bianchi. :cool:

"..........cycling is poorer for him being gone."

thanks so much

trying to find this again, little while ago :D

Also nice to see and be reminded just how smooth Jalabert's pedal stroke was.
Not that Pantani was exactly pedalling squares either.

Thanks for Posting
 

Thanks for posting. Forza il Pirato!

standing up climbing, for nearly 10 minutes straight, at the end of a full stage...better racing through chemistry.

It's even more painfully obvious now with what we know about the doping that went on. I guess we were all just so caught up in the drama of it that we didn't realize just how ridiculous the speeds they were climbing up hills and didn't question it more.

Did not intend to start a discussion about doping - I just marveled at Pantani's ability to stand and climb while in the drops - The balance, power, and stamina required is amazing - not many are able to master this technique (with or without drugs).

woo hoo
 

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I think part of the allure of Pantani, at least for me, has always been that he was flawed, that he was not some perfect person or perfect athlete. He had some demons, bad one's, that haunted him like they do everybody else. Guess that's what always attracted me to him, because I felt like we had something in common there....