Tour de France history: Marco Pantani was one of the most dazzling figures in cycling. Between 1995 and 2000 he won eight stages in the Tour de France – his last one exactly 19 years ago today.
Pantani defends against Armstrong's dominance
We write that July 16, 2000. At the Tour de France, the Lance Armstrong dominance moved in. The Texan won for the first time last year and will rise to become a seven-time Tour winner in the coming years. The competition looks hopeless. The two previous winners - the German Jan Ullrich and the Italian Marco Pantani - can't hold a candle to Lance Armstrong either. When the last week of the tour begins, he is already leading by more than seven minutes. But the other podium places and stage wins are still up for grabs. This is exactly what Marco Pantani is aiming for. "Elephantino" felt that his honor had been offended. Three days earlier he won on the Mont Ventoux, because Armstrong patronized him with the victory. The pirate didn't want to let that stand. He wanted to win because he was the best.
Pantani wins, Armstrong takes revenge
On July 16th the time had come. Pantani blew the first part of his all-out attack. The 15st stage led by Briançon Courchevel. On the 173,5 kilometer route it was the passes that counted Galibier and Madeleine to cross. A real climbing party. Just right for the pirate. He attacked on the final climb and didn't let anyone follow him with his inimitable style. He took a whopping 50 seconds from Armstrong, Virenque and Ullrich even minutes. After the race, the pissed-off Italian chanted in the direction of Armstrong: "I showed the arrogant American today." He reacted confidently and only gave his answer one stage later. After the rest day, the peloton followed morzine Already in the first climb Pantani attacked in order to be able to get as big a lead as possible. But Armstrong let his helpers work and Pantani didn't drive far away. They set it - and Pantani lost over 13 minutes.
The Pirate's Sad End
Marco Pantani's victory in Courchevel would be his last in the Tour de France. After the stage to Morzine he gave up. He never returned to the Tour of France. In 2001, Italian police found a syringe of insulin in his hotel room. The result was one six month ban. After his comeback, starts at the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana ended with tasks. In 2003 he finished his last Giro d'Italia as 14th overall. Without a crash he could have made the top five. But just a month later, Pantani held back treatment of depression in a mental hospital. On February 14, 2004, he was found dead in a Rimini hotel room. He died of one cocaine overdose. It is still uncertain whether Pantani committed suicide.