I always check around the cycling press for articles on the late Marco Pantani’s birthday, I grew up watching him in the Giro and Tour in the nineties and am glad I was able to be in the tifosi when the greatest climber in the spot was still alive. This year I was a little late but still found a great video (as long as you turn off the sound).
Yes he rode the devil’s gear but you don’t ride that smooth just from the juice, there was a lot of natural talent in that man.
from the article:
If you’re new to the sport then here is a video clip of him in the Giro d’Italia. Watch his team mates churn huge gears, look on as he takes on his rivals one by one with sharp accelerations, note the way he climbs out of the saddle with his hands on the drops, see how smooth his pedal stroke is. Rides like this made him a hero in Italy and beyond, he could change the shape of any race.
http://inrng.com/2012/02/marco-pantani-remembered/
For those not familiar:
http://www.bicycling.com/news/featured-stories/here-again
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2004/feb/22/cycling.theobserver
http://velonews.competitor.com/2004/02/news/marco-pantani-a-tragic-figure_5563
RIP Pirata
