Marco Pantani

Italian road racing cyclist (1970–2004)

AI overview

Marco Pantani was an Italian professional cyclist who lived from 1970 to 2004 and was known for his road racing abilities. He is a significant figure in cycling history, though the context provided does not specify his particular achievements or why he is notable beyond his profession and nationality.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

1989: G.S. Rinascita Ravenna
Full name: Marco Pantani
Nickname: Il Pirata ("The Pirate"), Elefantino ("The Little Elephant")
Born: ( 1970-01-13 ) 13 January 1970, Cesena , Emilia-Romagna , Italy
Died: 14 February 2004 (2004-02-14) (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)
Discipline: Road
Role: Rider
Rider type: Climber
1990 1992: G.S. Giacobazzi-Nonantola
1992 1996: Carrera Jeans–Vagabond
1997 2003: Mercatone Uno

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Instance of: human
Given name: Marco
Gender: male
Citizenship: Italy
Place of birth: Cesena
Place of death: Rimini
Occupation: sport cyclist
Languages spoken: Italian
Award: Vélo d'Or
Sport: cycle sport
Member of team: Carrera
Position played: climbing specialist
Country for sport: Italy
Mass: 57
Official website: www.pantani.it
Image: Marco Pantani.jpg
Height: 172

Show 8 more facts

Commons category: Marco Pantani
date of birth: 1970-01-13
date of death: 2004-02-14
cause of death: drug overdose
sports discipline competed in: road bicycle racing
name in native language: Marco Pantani
nickname: Il Pirata / Elefantino / Diabalino
place of burial: Cesenatico

Sources (2)

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Encyclopedic overview

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) and Alpe d'Huez (36:50), and other cyclists including Lance Armstrong and Charly Gaul have hailed Pantani's climbing skills. 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. At 172 centimetres (5 feet 7+1⁄2 inches) and 58 kilograms (128 pounds), he was said to have the classic build for a mountain climber. His style has been contrasted with that of time-trialling experts such as the five-time Tour winner Miguel Induráin.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Marco Pantani” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.