The inquest into the death of controversial cycling star Marco Pantani will begin in earnest on Monday as Italy comes to terms with the loss of one of its fallen heroes.
Pantani, the last cyclist to win the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia double in the same year (1998), was found lifeless in a Rimini hotel room with half-empty bottles of medication at his side on Saturday evening.
A state pathologist, Francesco Toni, said on Sunday Pantani may have died of a heart attack although what provoked it will not be known until an autopsy is carried out on Monday.
The Rimini prosecutor Paolo Gengarelli said that there was no early evidence that would point to a suicide.
Pantani’s sudden death has shocked the cycling world and the whole of Italy.
However, the fragile 34-year-old’s fall from being the toast of the Italian tifosi to falling out of favour with the sport’s authorities seemed to leave him particularly vulnerable.
Pantani was booked into a clinic that treats depression and alcohol and drugs problems last June when his Mercatone Uno team was not invited to the centenary Tour de France.
The Italian team, whose only world-class star was the man known to his fans as Il Pirata (the Pirate), had also been left out of the race in 2002.
Since last June Pantani’s career really hit the skids and he admitted — after putting on about 15kg in weight — that he would never compete again.
His depression, as he came to terms with the end of what was once a glittering career, have led many to believe his death could have been suicide.
Investigators are currently analysing the contents of the drugs found in his room. Reports say the names of the products found were Control, Surmontil and Flunox — all of which are used to treat depression.
A police spokesperson, Sabato Riccio, said on Sunday they were not ruling out the possibility that Pantani may have taken an overdose over the past few days.
Staff at the hotel told Ansa news agency that Pantani had checked in alone several days ago, and had appeared ”strange and not quite there”.
His last contact with the outside world, said Riccio, was when he made a telephone call to the hotel porter at 10am on Saturday morning.
When the Italian failed to appear later in the day, the concerned porter raised the alarm at about 9.30pm local time. When they finally entered the room, Pantani was found lying on his back.
Since his death the tributes have been pouring in for a man who, despite having his fair share of legal wrangles, managed to light up the appeal of the sport.
”He got people hooked on the sport,” Tour de France great Miguel Indurain told Spanish sports newspaper Marca.
”There may be riders who achieved more than him, but they never succeeded in drawing the fans like he did.”
Italian cyclist Stefano Garzelli compared Pantani to the legendary Fausto Coppi, who in 1949 became the first rider to win the Tour de France and the Tour of Italy in the same year — a feat Pantani repeated 49 years later.
”Forty years on they remember Coppi, in 40 years’ time they will still be talking about Marco,” said Garzelli.
For some Pantani’s fall from grace was aided by an over-zealous Italian justice system, which made Italian cycling and Pantani in particular one of their favourite targets.
Belgian cycling legend Eddy Merckx said some of the blame should be apportioned to the Italian justice system.
”After his success in the Tour of Italy and Tour de France in the same year Pantani certainly made mistakes — but he was targeted by the Italian justice system who never let him go.
”I believe it was that that destroyed him,” said the five-time Tour de France winner.
Merckx also suggested the solitary nature of the sport Pantani had chosen had played a part in the tragedy.
”Once your career is finished it’s inevitable that you’re forgotten. It’s a case of every man for himself and God for all.”
Former Tour de France winner Bernard Thevenet said Pantani had been a ”victim of society” — although his real problem was dealing with real life after being considered a god.
”Pantani should never have finished up like that,” said the 1975 and 1977 Tour de France winner, who said he was immensely saddened at the news.
”It’s a problem with society. Today, you either follow the rhythm or you fall by the wayside.
”We’re living in a world were being a star is everything, and being just anybody means nothing.” — Sapa-AFP