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  Special treasure for 'The Pirate' History and destiny keep Pantani in the Tour de France
Posted: Friday July 10, 1998 03:32 PM
Special from L'Equipe, the French sports daily PARIS (L'Equipe) -- A champion struggled on a bike to please his fellow countrymen by winning the Giro while a legendary rider struggled in a hospital bed. After applauding Marco Pantani's Giro success, all of Italy discovered Gino Bartali's health problems. A very thin Bartali eventually left the Borgo Trento hospital, in Verona, 36 days after a problem with his intestines required surgery. But to all of Italy, he remained "l'uomo de ferro," the man of steel. Bartali received hundreds of "get well" telegrams and faxes from all parts of the world, including one from Pantani. Bartali's surgeon, Claudio Cordiano, waited until his patient had recovered to bring an Italian touch to the story and reveal that he'd been a fan of Fausto Coppi, Bartali's biggest rival. "Of course, Bartali is in no shape to climb up the 'Stelvio' or the 'Pordoi,' but during his whole stay, he showed he was a champion, because the surgery was heavy for an 84-year-old man who has a pacemaker," Cordiano added. Luciano Pezzi, who was six years younger than Bartali, had just died. In the old days, Pezzi was a rock, a giant, and with other riders on the Italian team, like Andrea Carrea, he chose to help Coppi instead of Bartali. It was also Pezzi, when he coached the Salvarani team, who convinced a 22-year-old Felice Gimondi, who was not a professional yet, to compete in the 1965 Tour de France after a third-place finish in the Giro. 33 years later, Italy is still waiting for Gimondi's successor and would like Pantani to trade pink for yellow. Pezzi's death deeply affected Pantani. "He was like my second father," he said. "He made me sign a three-year contract when I was still on crutches, following my career-threatening injury. He managed to convince the Mercatone Uno boss that I would come back at the highest level, and that he should build a team around me. After, I asked Luciano to give Giuseppe Martinelli the coaching job, and together, we recruited the riders. "Our goal was to win a Giro, a Vuelta or a Tour de France in three years, and we achieved that, together, in our second year. Pezzi also is the person who made me want to meet Charly Gaul."
"Pantani invited me at his place December 8 to celebrate my 65th birthday. He became my friend. He's smart, sensitive. In the Tour de France, he must attack, because he's the strongest," Gaul, the former Tour de France winner from Luxembourg said, getting carried away. "He mustn't attack on the way up, but at the start of the climb, to get rid of the riders who are not good climbers! He looks a lot like me, even if he uses gear ratios I didn't know, but he attacks too late, I told him! He has to attack a lot sooner! Marco told me he'd do as best he can, and I'll be cheering him on in the Alps." Even before he said anything, people in Italy wondered whether "il pirata," the pirate, would ride in the Tour de France. Why, after all, would he run the risk of racing against Jan Ullrich in France, on a route that's perfect for last year's winner after a success at home? "There is a tendency to go under the mountains. Are they afraid the riders may get cold?" was all Pantani said ironically about the route. The reason why he's going to compete in the Tour again this year is that a major change took place deep inside. "I'm a winner now," he insisted. "Before, I put on a show, in the mountain stages, but I didn't get the important victories, often because of bad fate, accidents. My win on the Giro changed a lot of things, it triggered something in my life," Pantani said. Martinelli, his coach, wasn't as enthusiastic. "It wouldn't be reasonable for him to think about the overall standings too much. Marco has to aim at stage wins," he said. Ever since the Giro ended, Martinelli has driven three hours to Pantani's home in Cesenatico almost everyday to talk with him. "Marco will race day after day, without getting carried away even if he loses time in the flat stages, like he did last year. In 1997, he was given antibiotics during the Tour de France's first week, and we calculated that he lost four minutes and a half on Jan Ullrich before getting to the PyrŽnŽes, because of the numerous falls in the pack," he said. Pantani will start of the Tour de France in Dublin Saturday 34 days after the Giro's final stage in Milan, 34 days during which he didn't race. He was supposed to compete in the Tour of Catalonia, but said he had respiratory problems. He immediately reassured Martinelli and convened some of his teammates for long practice outings in the Apennine mountains. Signs of destiny keep marking Pantani's life. His friend Davide Dall'Olio, who was also hurt in the accident that could have cost Pantani his life, just broke his thighbone. It should be the end of the average rider's career, whom Pantani never let down. And Wednesday, the driver who ran them over, five miles before the 1995 Milan-Torino's finish line, went on trial, as well as the policemen who didn't stop him. Saturday, Pantani's jersey will be green, the same green as the Bianchi bike brand. This jersey will no doubt remind Italians of Coppi, who made Bianchi famous, bring Bartali back in time, excite Gimondi, who works for the company, please Gaul and send a message to Pezzi. Copyright (c) 1998 L'Equipe
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Pantani will start of the Tour de France in Dublin 34 days
after the Giro's final stage in Milan 