Categories: In MemoriamKermisLook ProNostalgiaReverent

In Memoriam: Il Pirata, Ten Years Gone

r-EPO man

I don’t know if it’s because I see something of myself in them or if it awakens some kind of nurturing instinct, but I always seem to find myself drawn to tragically flawed figures.

Layne Staley and Marco Pantani strike me as two halves of the same whole; incredibly talented yet tortured with mortally addictive personalities, both set loose into a world of over-indulgence. Everyone – including themselves – saw the writing on the wall in the months or even years leading up to their deaths, but everyone seemed helpless to stop the inevitable: a lonely death. To hear Staley sing is to watch Pantani climb; beauty is to witness an artist pouring their anguish into their trade.

I’ve been watching the 1998 Tour and Giro during my morning turbo sessions, and even with the lens through which we now view those rides, his talent was undeniable, but so was his fragile psyche. You can almost taste his self-doubt even as he flies up the mountains like a soaring eagle.

Today, St. Valentines Day, marks the tenth anniversary of Marco’s death, and with that we dive into the archives for a Kermis on Brett’s look at our fallen hero. See also a previous year’s Valentines Day Memorial.

May you go with Merckx, Marco.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

Next Post-Ride Recovery Ales »

Previous « Climbing Tips for the Non-Climber

View Comments

piwakawaka says:

Feb 17 2014 at 10:48 pm

@ped

Pure ...

What a fantastic shot, what a bike! That Bianchi's not bad either, Jan's Pinarello stunning, Jan? Fuck he's he's crushing it with Birthday boy, No Fucking Hands!
slatanic says:

Feb 18 2014 at 3:20 am
slatanic says:

Feb 18 2014 at 3:22 am

"As much artist as athlete......."
slatanic says:

Feb 18 2014 at 3:27 am
frank says:

Feb 18 2014 at 9:25 am

@piwakawaka

@ped

Pure ...

What a fantastic shot, what a bike! That Bianchi's not bad either, Jan's Pinarello stunning, Jan? Fuck he's he's crushing it with Birthday boy, No Fucking Hands!

Surprising fact about Ullrich that everyone overlooks: he rode without blood boosters of blood doping from 1998 - 2002. The whole Festina Affair scared the shit out of him and he didn't want to risk it. It wasn't until 2003 that he started it back up again, after having had enough of getting creamed by Pharmy for so many years.

That, to me, is amazing. Its also amazing that he really hasn't spoken up about that.
fignons barber says:

Feb 18 2014 at 11:12 am

@frank

@Wondering

(to several of the posters here) If you want to glorify a troubled soul with a tragic fall from grace, then go right ahead, I'll back you on that. But if you're going to celebrate his drugged up cycling achievements and say they inspired you back then (and now) then don't be placing Marco on a pedestal and Lance in the gutter. Again, I'm no fan of Lance, but his achievements dominated cycling for many years, even dominated Marco when Marco was at his peak.

The difference you're overlooking is that Pantani seemed to me personally a likeable character, like someone I could have a beer with under the right circumstances. Lance just seemed like a dick. Its as simple as that; its not fair or objective, its just the nature of being a fan.

Also, at the time, the races Pantani made happen were simply exciting to watch, while Armstrong's felt like foregone conclusions; how much fun you have watching the races at the time has a lasting impact on how you feel about the athletes after the fact.

Several good points in this exchange. May I add:

This is the shirt for the Pantani fan, in Giro pink.

This is me on the upper slopes of Alpe d'Huez ,2013 Tour , wearing the above shirt ( the clip is from the World Cycling dvd, snapped it off the tv). I have worked the french folks up into quite a lather, and as you can see we are really "engaging" Froome and Sky as they go by.

How can I wear a Pantani shirt and boo Froome? I guess the feeling of likeability comes into play. I think your feeling that people are coming down on Lance, the person, is correct. But honestly, the thing that bothers me most about the whole doping catastrophe is the inequality of justice and punishment.

Rendell references the Conconi trial file that clearly shows that Claudio Chiapucci and Stephen Roche were EPO users at Carrera (at this point they didn't want to spend the money on good dope for an unproven Pantani). Both are still public darlings. Richard Virenque? Don't get me started.
Wondering says:

Feb 18 2014 at 11:57 pm

@frank

Surprising fact about Ullrich that everyone overlooks: he rode without blood boosters of blood doping from 1998 - 2002. The whole Festina Affair scared the shit out of him and he didn't want to risk it. It wasn't until 2003 that he started it back up again, after having had enough of getting creamed by Pharmy for so many years.

That, to me, is amazing. Its also amazing that he really hasn't spoken up about that.

Sample tests from Ullrich in 1998 did show EPO. Wouldn't surprise me if they had samples from the next few years then they too would be positive.
andrew says:

Feb 19 2014 at 12:35 am

@fignons barber

Richard Virenque? Don't get me started.

I can't stand the way Eurosport give this guy a platform in the summer.
Markp says:

Nov 20 2014 at 2:48 am