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Squares

Jan 19, 2010
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I'll always remember how he attacked Lance early on the Col de Joux-Plane stage in the 2000 Tour to draw him out, only to quit.

That was after Lance matched everything he could give on Ventoux and let him have the win.
 
Berzin

Berzin

Aug 6, 2009
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Ryaguas said:
Most than 99% of the ppl remember Marco as one of the greatest cyclist that ever live... you are that tiny 1% of the ppl that nobody cares about...
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Exactly. And just for the sake of clarification, the rider who took his place in the standings the day Marco was disqualified (Paolo Savoldelli) had a hematocrit that measured 49.9% that very same day.


LONG LIVE IL PIRATA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1zxnti0.jpg
 
R

rghysens

Mar 10, 2009
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Squares said:
I'll always remember how he attacked Lance early on the Col de Joux-Plane stage in the 2000 Tour to draw him out, only to quit.

That was after Lance matched everything he could give on Ventoux and let him have the win.
Click to expand...

And after Pantani gained a minute on Armstrong in the last 6km towards Courchevel
 
rhubroma

rhubroma

Apr 2, 2009
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il Pirata was, in the words of Simoni, a "Picaso" on the bike or, in the words of Big Mig, a "tragic hero."

He rose up in a sport with all the problems we know about and we only wish he didn't have to assume a burden that was more appropriately the blame of an entire system and community. Such ended up killing him, because of his own fragile character. A fragility which, until the fall, never was evidenced on the bike.

He was simply the best ever to watch. Nobody else could light up a race in the mountains like him. Not Lance and not AC. And at the moment of his star's decent, another ascended in its place. What a shame we never got to see, though, the real Marco against the Texan on the steep climbs at the Tour. I think it would have been incredible to watch and may have altered in a not insignificant way the final outcome of the events. Such, though, is history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eSH7huIR3M&NR=1&feature=fvwp
 
Jamsque

Jamsque

Mar 11, 2009
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rhubroma said:
il Pirata was, in the words of Simoni, a "Picaso" on the bike or, in the words of Big Mig, a "tragic hero."

He rose up in a sport with all the problems we know about and we only wish he didn't have to assume a burden that was more appropriately the blame of an entire system and community. Such ended up killing him, because of his own fragile character. A fragility which, until the fall, never was evidenced on the bike.

He was simply the best ever to watch. Nobody else could light up a race in the mountains like him. Not Lance and not AC. And at the moment of his star's decent, another ascended in its place. What a shame we never got to see, though, the real Marco against the Texan on the steep climbs at the Tour. I think it would have been incredible to watch and may have altered in a not insignificant way the final outcome of the events. Such, though, is history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eSH7huIR3M&NR=1&feature=fvwp
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I was with you, I was so with you, MOVED even, right up until that musical photo-montage.
 
Dekker_Tifosi

Dekker_Tifosi

Mar 13, 2009
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Really tired from certain people from certain parts of the world who keep trying to turn everything into dope related topics and who are the biggest hypocrits on this forum. It wasn't as if Pantani was more doped than the others. :rolleyes:
He was still more talented also. if they were all clean, Pantani would still be the best that year.

Anyway, you know which certain parts of the world i'm referring to.
 
Angliru

Angliru

Mar 10, 2009
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happychappy said:
As a doped up cheater, you're right.
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...and who among the top riders during that period wasn't? There is a bizarre double standard that goes on here that is quite disturbing. Why can't we simply celebrate the performance without the bs comments?
 
CentralCaliBike

CentralCaliBike

Jul 23, 2009
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I enjoyed watching Marco Pantani because of the explosive acceleration in the mountains and the energy and Charisma that he portrayed when doing what the others could not. I respected his ability to win a GT even though he was not strong as in the TT.

I do find it interesting to see appreciation of this great rider from some who do not appear to have appreciation of another great rider who has been implicated with PED use.
 
rhubroma

rhubroma

Apr 2, 2009
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CentralCaliBike said:
I enjoyed watching Marco Pantani because of the explosive acceleration in the mountains and the energy and Charisma that he portrayed when doing what the others could not. I respected his ability to win a GT even though he was not strong as in the TT.

I do find it interesting to see appreciation of this great rider from some who do not appear to have appreciation of another great rider who has been implicated with PED use.
Click to expand...

It's purly character related and has nothing to do with PEDS.
 
Dekker_Tifosi

Dekker_Tifosi

Mar 13, 2009
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Jamsque said:
That's actually a rather good musical tribute to Marco Pantani, but I'll let you off.
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I made that video and I rule at making musical tribute videos so obviously i cant do a bad one.
 
hrotha

hrotha

Jun 10, 2010
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rhubroma said:
It's purly character related and has nothing to do with PEDS.
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Yeah, except for the part where most people (including me) will argue that a certain other guy benefitted more than others from his preparation, yet Pantani was the same. It's just funny to see the "level playing field" card played here, of all places.
 
CentralCaliBike

CentralCaliBike

Jul 23, 2009
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rhubroma said:
It's purly character related and has nothing to do with PEDS.
Click to expand...

I actually enjoy watching the attitude on the bike, that is what made Pantani exciting to watch, and it also made that certain other rider enjoyable for me as well. Just the attacking style that came out during the climbs.

From my point of view LA would have far fewer negative comments if he had won the '99 tour and then later succumbed to cancer and died (or died in his sleep or while high on narcotics). It is mostly a perception thing, a fact that is true of our thoughts about any major personality (it is not uncommon that the perception of the personality is not exactly accurate).
 
Dekker_Tifosi

Dekker_Tifosi

Mar 13, 2009
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Lance would have had much lesser negative comments if he didn't give away so many gifts and bored the tour to death with his calculating style. :rolleyes:

I really liked him in that one tour where all of a sudden he won 5 stages, evne going as far as catching Klöden who was no threat to him and doing everything he can to outsprint him.

I like that, THAT is real racing. Going for the win, not letting silly breakaways win and don't give your opponents everything.
But most of the years he was giving out presents left and right to keep as many friends as possible. And potential dangers uphill he just gave them a very fat contract to ride with USP.
Did not like that at all.
 
hrotha

hrotha

Jun 10, 2010
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roundabout said:
Armstrong gave a stage to Basso in the same Tour. :p

Pantani gave a stage to Guerini once. :eek:
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If you're thinking of Selva di Val Gardena 1998, that was more of a "let's work together to put time on everybody else, and since I'll benefit the most from it for the GC you can have the stage" kind of deal.
 
roundabout

roundabout

Jun 7, 2010
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hrotha said:
If you're thinking of Selva di Val Gardena 1998, that was more of a "let's work together to put time on everybody else, and since I'll benefit the most from it for the GC you can have the stage" kind of deal.
Click to expand...

Sounds quite calculating, no?
 
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