What remains in the head and especially in the hearts of the people are the emotions that a race, a race, generally a sporting event can bring. Therefore, athletes who are always remembered, that inspires you, that you look for the gadgets are precisely those that transmit very strong emotions! In cycling, there are many runners who have made and continue to make us jump on the chair, the list is long and the risk of forgetting a lot of it is a fact, however, that in the past 15 years more than any one has "attacked" on television, called on the climbs, along roads, this cyclist Marco Pantani, known worldwide as the "Pirate." His racing history began in the first half of the nineties and ended (with different trains later) that a summer of '99. I remember everything like it was yesterday: I had a few months and completed the University on behalf of the, waiting for the military service, I was running in several surveys of Coop Liguria, one morning in the summer of '99 while I was working on the radio announces: "The Pirate, the first in the overall standings, will not start for today's stage of the Tour because of Italy tested positive to doping control. " I was bewildered and incredulous, the Pirate, one of my heroes, could not betray me, could not have betrayed his fans, thousands of people wearing his famous yellow bandana the hail. I did not know what to do, what to think, certainly the measurements made that day felt the effects ... (well, this consideration remains between us ..).
accused of doping! Now, for those of you who is a sportsman and as I had the good fortune to see some of those beautiful landscapes where the Pirates and other companies have made great runners epic, I mean, for example, the Stelvio, Mortirolo in Sestriere, etc.. is well aware that on a slope where a motor is difficult to proceed is not possible for a human being, albeit super trained, supported and can proceed at a pace even stand up and shoot! It 's impossible, unless you make use of particular substances that increase the strength and durability! It 'just that the fact this is an open secret, everyone knows that this is so, and the reasons are the usual, money, television, sponsors, etc.. All use them, make me laugh those runners who say they did not know what he had put in the orange juice or injected into the veins! Everyone knows and everyone is silent, within the group, within Organization of cycling there is a tacit understanding that some substances may be used without exceeding beyond certain values \u200b\u200band can not be otherwise, the shots go up on the Stelvio not make them even mountain goats!
The problem is that the great Pirate was a group of trade unionists and, therefore, when doping controls began penalizing riders who did not exceed the levels agreed within the Organization, Pantani was opposed, of course, also opposed to those who exceed the internally set. Here, the problem of Pantani was the one to talk, to expose it was in the boom of his career, was the strongest, weighed his words, but some bother! It had to be cut out, out! So it was, Pantani was disqualified, he served the suspension, he returned to racing but it was not the same as before, he had lost his enthusiasm, he knew that he was betrayed and he continued to be accused of this and that, in short the processes to which he was unjustly subjected were seven! Yes just seven, that's right, it was not a criminal of the worst kind! Eventually he retired, he, with his epic undertakings that the mountains had thrilled the people and won the Tour of Italy and his majesty the Tour de France, had been accused, betrayed, disgraced, pointing to him. Unfortunately, the rest is recent history: February 14, 2005 the Pirate is found dead in a hotel room, seems to have abused cocaine or other substance of some kind, it seems even to have committed suicide, so he was a scoundrel, a crook, dishonest. No! I mean no! Marco Pantani was the Pirate! and everyone knows this, even those who overthrew him in a world of mud because it was an awkward, because telling the truth!
The poor mother of Mark says that's not true that he committed suicide, said that there was someone else in that hotel room, says that they killed him! Poor woman, I think that justice should investigate, tell us what happened, I think his mom and all of us who believe in his honesty and what it represents, we have a right to know the truth, but I think that, as often, we'll never know the truth, only one thing is certain, Marco Pantani died 14 February 2005, the Pirate they killed that summer of '99 ...
Dear Mark, dear Pirate, I hope with all my heart that today wherever you are to do what you like, or pedaling, pedaling uphill and near the turn around back to look at the opponents, take off your hat and get up on the pedals to take, then redeem and take another turn, until there is uphill, with the crowd watching you, you hosanna, you shout "Go Mark, go pirate, you're the strongest!
