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The Death of Marco Pantani

A Biography

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The Death of Marco Pantani

By: Matt Rendell
Narrated by: Matt Rendell
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About this listen

The intimate biography of the charismatic Tour de France winner Marco Pantani, now updated to include the 2014 and 2015 investigation into Pantani's death.

National Sporting Club Book of the Year

Shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award

On Valentine's day 2004, Marco Pantani was found dead in a cheap hotel. It defied belief: Pantani, having won the rare double of the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in 1998, was regarded as the only cyclist capable of challenging Lance Armstrong's dominance. Only later did it emerge that Pantani had been addicted to cocaine since 1999.

Drawing on his personal encounters with Pantani, as well as exclusive access to his psychoanalysts, and interviews with his family and friends, Matt Rendell has produced the definitive account of an iconic sporting figure.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2012 Matt Rendell (P)2023 Orion Publishing Group Limited Cycling Sports Outdoor

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Critic reviews

'An exhaustively detailed and beautiful book...a fitting, ambivalent tribute - to the man, and to the dark heart of the sport he loved.' Independent
All stars
Most relevant  
Fascinating, compassionate and ultimately, tragic. Full of detail, full of insight, full of honesty and humanity. If you like sport, if you like cycling, if you like great storytelling then you’ll find this book very had to beat. Very good narration too.

A brilliant book.

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The Death of Marco Pantani is the antidote to most cycling biographies, missing is the glory but the pain is plenty.

Much of the story was unknown to me and Rendell presents it in a clear logical manor that supports the story he is telling.

A sad story of a hero

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A forensic account of an athletes life and death. Dispelling any fiction associated with the subject, real and true no matter how painful. Eye opening, enjoyable, devastating and inspiring in equal measure.

The complete, thorough, unbiased account.

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Brilliantly written and researched. One of the best in class.
Excellently read by the author. Makes a difference.

Listened in 3 days

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Mr Rendell describes in forensic detail every known fact and opinion regarding the life and death of Pantani. He is even-handed, dispassionate and disinterested. There are a lot of data to take in, but I found Mr Rendell’s reading always comprehensible. This book demands patience, but it is rewarded.

Exhaustive analysis!

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I remember first time seeing MP its was on eurosport 1994 i remember daivd duffield steven roche doing commentary talking about MP in the stage he had being droped and was thinking off quiting the tour because he had many injuries allready during the tour de france 3 hours later he had finish second on the stage climbing up the mountains like ive never seen before that day i became a huge fan and was supporting him non stop after that a true legend MP rip great book also well written

My favorite cyclist off all time

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An important book. Made me sad and angry in equal measure. Evokes beautifully the magic of Pantani’s performance in the mountains but digs deep into the uncomfortable truth about how it was achieved. Being a fan for many years, there were times I would have preferred to look away. I wanted this book to leave a thin sliver of doubt but Matt affords us none. Pantani himself felt strangely absent from the second half of the book: few direct quotes from him, but detailed documentation of his descent based on others’ accounts.
Obviously, the blood test data and quotes from legal documents don’t come across well as an audiobook, and you can’t appreciate the graphs and copies of documents that are reproduced in the paperback, but I appreciated the chance to listen while out on my bike (bone conduction headphones, of course). Buy the paperback too for the full experience (as I did).

Forensic and clear-sighted

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