The Pantani Collector's Set

To launch our latest version of the Pantani Lightweight Jersey, we sent two riders to the Dolomites and the Passo del Mortirolo in memory of Pantani’s dizzying exploits.

Marco Pantani, the most idiosyncratic rider of a generation, and the only Italian since Fausto Coppi to win the Giro–Tour double. Like Coppi, he won the hearts of Italy and racing fans worldwide. Known as Il Pirata (The Pirate) his dramatic attacks in the mountains left both spectator and competitor breathless. But his promethean highs were matched with awful lows. Excommunicated by the sport after failing a drugs test at the Giro in 1999, Pantani’s loneliness turned fatal, dying of an alleged drugs overdose on Valentine's Day 2004.

It was at the 1994 Giro where Pantani announced himself to the cycling world, winning the second of two back-to-back stage victories with an attack on the infamous Mortirolo Pass – which features in this year’s edition of the race as a ‘Montagna Pantani’ in honour of Il Pirata. Pantani blew up the race and also derailed the cold, calculated and consistent climbing of Miguel Indurain with a blistering attack. Pantani’s audacious Alpinism was the perfect antidote to the pragmatic approach of the big Spaniard and made him a cult hero overnight.

Swashbuckling, subversive and magical, Pantani showed flamboyance in appearance and method. But as an epic hero, particularly one who flew so high but crashed tragically, his story is tainted by the sport’s worst elements. Yet we continue, like many, to celebrate his achievements as a bike racer – one who set every stage on fire.