First published 2005
Marco Pantani stands atop the cycling world in 1998, having conquered both the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia in a single season. Only three other riders in history have managed this double victory: Eddy Merckx, Fausto Coppi, and Miguel Indurain. But Pantani's triumph comes at a cost. The sport's pervasive drug culture ensnares the master cyclist, pulling him into a spiral that will define his final years. As his career crumbles under scandal and suspicion, Pantani retreats into isolation and despair. The man who once soared up mountain passes now battles demons that prove more formidable than any climb. His story reaches its tragic end alone in a hotel room on Valentine's Day 2004. Through the perspectives of prominent American and European sportswriters, this account traces Pantani's journey from the peaks of athletic achievement to the depths of personal destruction, capturing both his brilliance on the bike and his vulnerability off it.
Genres: biography, addiction, 20th-century, sports, 21st-century, cycling
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: tragedy
Period: 1998
240 pages · Paperback · Velo Press
Content warnings: addiction, depression, substance-abuse, suicide