The Marco Pantani Movie finally made it to RAI International only a few days after its Italian premier on RAI. I set my DVR to record it but was unable to get enough time to watch until Monday when I came down with a cold and was at home with a few hours to kill.
The Marco Pantani Movie was produced by RAI and has the same qualities as any major network “Movie of the Week”. The story follows Marco’s life through a flash back that is bookended with Marco smashing a plate glass window during the 1999 Giro at Madonna di Campiglio when he found out that his Hematocrit level was above 50%. The 50% threshold required that Pantani take two weeks off from cycling as a health precaution. This meant that he was booted from the Giro where he was dominating.
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A movie following Marco Pantani’s life will be shown on RAI Uno on Monday February 5th. Rolando Ravello who looks almost exactly like ‘Il Pirata’ will play the lead role which follows Pantani’s career during its zenith when he won the Giro and Tour double in 1998.
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Today marks the two year anniversary of Marco Pantani’s death in a hotel in Rimini. Here are a few pics that highlight Marco Pantani’s career.
(Marco and Miguel Indurain in 1995 Bour D’Oisans)
This is when Marco Pantani made a big splash by terrorizing Indurain and other riders in the mountains. This is the year that Pantani broke out of Claudio Chiapucci’s shadow and made his own name.
(2000 Tour De France Mt Ventoux.) This was Pantani’s comeback in the Armstrong Era. Although he wasn’t the Pantani of 1997-1999 he was still able to take Armstrong to the top of Ventoux. Pantani’s win was marred by controversy between the two riders when Lance mentioned that he “gave” the win to Pantani. Pantani was furious that Armstrong would say the stage was a gift and insisted that he won on his own merit.
The next day Pantani took the win on the stage to Courchevel to show that the Ventoux stage was not a gift.
(You can buy a T-Shirt of this win at the Velochimp T-Shirt shop)
Pics from http://www.geocities.com/veloepododo/Pirate/acc.html
Yahoo News
Italians and L’Equipe love conspiracy theories. This one looks like it could go on forever.
A new book by L’Equipe journalist Philippe Brunel will give credence a theory that is gaining acceptance, that Marco Pantani did not simply die of a drig overdose, but was in fact murdered.
The original theory was brought forth by greiving mother Tonina Pantani who understandably cannot fathom why Marco would be so wreckless with drugs and overdose the way he did. A few clues at the scene such as a trashed hotel room and Marco purchasing creme to treat scrathes and such are set as proof. Marco also had some unexplined scratches on his neck that cause some suspision. These facts alone may not be enough to cause Italian Police to open up the case again.
For L’Equipe who loves to make cash off of cycling contraversies, it may at least sell a few books.
Procycling: Pantani was murdered
Tuttobici Web
Five All-Star Italian-based Athletes are getting together to sing a song in tribute to fallen Cycling Star Marco Pantani. F1 driver Jarno Trulli, Race Car Driver Alex Zanardi, Danilo Di Luca, Volleyball champ Alberto Cisolla and Rugby Champ Denis Dallan are hitting the recording studio to remember a fallen collegue.
The profits from the CD they will create will go to charity Caritas that help orphans and other less fortunate children. Most of the songs have been already written one year earlier by Elisabetta Gioia Mondini with a song titled “Apri il cielo che c’è in me!!!” which literally translated mean “open the sky that is in me”…
The group hopes to perform the song at the San Remo music festival this spring.
Tuttobici Web
