Marco Pantani

Then, as he showed he could cycle through the Alps faster than anyone, Marco Pantani earned a more menacing nickname: "Pirate," for his hoop earring and the bandanna that covered his bald head.

On Feb. 15, Italy mourned the 34-year-old Pantani as a tragic "lost hero." Pantani -- the last cyclist other than American Lance Armstrong to win the Tour de France -- was found dead Feb. 14 in a hotel room in the Adriatic resort city of Rimini.

The coroner who examined Pantani initially said cardiac arrest was the probable cause, news reports said.

Pantani became Italy's most popular cyclist, especially after he won cycling's two greatest races -- the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France -- in the same year, 1998.

Pantani's popularity in Italy rivaled that of skier Alberto Tomba and Ferrari's Formula One team. Moreover, in a country of weekend cycling warriors, Pantani plied a craft that millions of average athletes could try themselves.

And Pantani held onto that superstar status even after he was bedeviled by doping accusations and suspensions in recent seasons -- accusations he denied.

The Japan Times Weekly: Feb. 21, 2004
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