Marco Pantini, at 34; `Pirate' captured titles, Italians' hearts

ROME -- At first, they called him "Elefantino," or little elephant, because he had such big ears and a small frame.

Then, as he showed he could cycle through the Alps faster than anyone, Marco Pantani earned a more menacing nickname: "Pirate," for his hoop earring and the bandanna that covered his bald head.

On Sunday, Italy mourned Mr. Pantani, 34, as a tragic "lost hero." Mr. Pantani -- the last cyclist other than Lance Armstrong to win the Tour de France -- was found dead Saturday night in a hotel room in the Adriatic resort city of Rimini.

Several bottles of medicine and tranquilizers were found in the room, but prosecutors ruled out suicide pending an autopsy scheduled for today. The coroner who examined Mr. Pantani initially said cardiac arrest was the probable cause, news reports said.

Italy is essentially a single-sport nation, with soccer headlines dominating the country's sports newspapers. Personable champions who emerge in other sports, however, often gain a mythical status.

Mr. Pantani was one such athlete. He became Italy's most popular cyclist, especially after he won cycling's two greatest races -- the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France -- in the same year, 1998. The last Italian to accomplish the feat was Fausto Coppi in 1952.

Mr. Pantani's popularity in Italy rivaled that of skier Alberto Tomba and Ferrari's Formula One team. Moreover, in a country of weekend cycling warriors, Mr. Pantani plied a craft that millions of average athletes could try themselves.

And Mr. Pantani held onto that superstar status even in recent seasons after he was bedeviled by doping accusations -- which he denied -- and suspensions.

Armstrong, who began his run of five straight Tour victories in 1999 and battled Mr. Pantani in the 2000 race, said in a statement he had deep respect for Mr. Pantani "regardless of our battles on/off the bike."

"Cycling has indeed lost a great champion and a great personality," Armstrong said.

Short and slight in stature, Mr. Pantani scaled mountains faster than anyone and excelled at increasing his lead or making up ground with daredevil descents. In his heyday, fans would interrupt their workdays or beach vacations to find a television and watch the cyclist with the giant grin. Thousands of fans thronged the mountain passes where Mr. Pantani worked on his craft, whether at home or in the nearby French Alps.

His ascent up the 21 hairpin turns of the Tour de France's legendary L'Alpe d'Huez in 37 minutes, 35 seconds, in 1997 stands as one of the sport's most respected records.

After Mr. Pantani's magical 1998 wins, his entire Mercatone Uno team -- riders, trainers, and masseuse -- shaved their heads to imitate him.