"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Pantani finished (! or ?)

The Eurosport commentators (French) had a field day with Pantani in the first stages of the Tour de Pay Basque this week.

Initially it was comments such as "the Michael Jackson of the peloton" re his ear pin job.

Later, on a climb where he fell to the last position (and badly) they kept referring to him as the "derriere", I suspect intending both meanings.

As surmised many times earlier - pre-"comeback", he appears to be milking the last few dollars from a faded career.

VdB, on the other hand, finished a very close second to van Petegem recently, so he may really be on the way back.

Cheers...Gary

I hope he is not finished, I need to see him get dropped by Lance (again). Maybe then he'll shut his trap.

Regardless of his mouth, he is still a pretty decent bicycle rider, as he has ably demonstrated in the Giro. After getting knocked off his bike when Garzelli hit him yesterday he got back on and finished 26th in a very difficult mountain stage. And then even better today, only 44 seconds back. While he was knocked out of the top ten (now 13th) by yesterday's crash, he is still competitive and I hope that he gets back in the TdF on the new Bianchi team. He is riding better with each day and may peak just at the right time for the tour. While I could do without his mouth, a lot of which probably gets lost in the translation, he is a worthy rider and as a past TdF winner who is still competing he deserves to be in the TDF, just like Cipo does for being the current world champion. But. What about the Simoni?!?! If he can peak again for the TdF he will be extremely tough for Lance. Should be interesting.

Originally posted by ParamountScapin
[Bhe is a worthy rider and as a past TdF winner who is still competing he deserves to be in the TDF, just like Cipo does for being the current world champion. But. What about the Simoni?!?! If he can peak again for the TdF he will be extremely tough for Lance. Should be interesting. [/B]

I can't wait. There's already drama! :D

I was glad (and amazed) to see him doing as well as he has. Gotta give him credit for completing the stage after crashing (David Millar, take note!).

He looked pretty unhappy and pained after that awful crash, and I was glad he kept going. He was having such a great giro, and even garzelli said it was great to ride with him again. As for his mouth, he hasn't been mouthing off much lately, his legs are doing the talking. I would have liked him to win a mountain stage, though. He doesn't quite have the explosive climbing legs he used to, but he did really well on the Zoncolan.

Pantani is a washout and any self respecting bike team should tell him to take a hike. Promote the new talent and let the old dogs die. Especially when they begin that awful whining.

Originally posted by SamDaBikinMan
Pantani is a washout and any self respecting bike team should tell him to take a hike.

That's why I think it would be very interesting to see Pantani in Le Tour. Drama man - the Tour needs some drama this year!!!

Originally posted by SamDaBikinMan
Pantani is a washout and any self respecting bike team should tell him to take a hike. Promote the new talent and let the old dogs die. Especially when they begin that awful whining.

I don't know, he looked pretty strong in stage 19 of the giro (1 day after his wreck) where he did 3 consecutive attacks (yes simoni reeled him in) but I don't recall anyone but simoni who countered.... I'd like to see him do well again :rolleyes:

Originally posted by VegasCyclist
I don't know, he looked pretty strong in stage 19 of the giro (1 day after his wreck) where he did 3 consecutive attacks (yes simoni reeled him in) but I don't recall anyone but simoni who countered.... I'd like to see him do well again :rolleyes:

He looked pretty strong? He launched attacks, and soon after couldn't even stay with the top runners. Everyone in that group when he attacked ended up finishing ahead of him. That isn't strength... thats just either him having no tactics, or he cares more about capturing attention for the moment than how well he finishes.

Originally posted by brent_dube
He looked pretty strong? He launched attacks, and soon after couldn't even stay with the top runners. Everyone in that group when he attacked ended up finishing ahead of him. That isn't strength... thats just either him having no tactics, or he cares more about capturing attention for the moment than how well he finishes.

just because he didn't finish with the top 7 GC contenders doesn't mean he didn't have anything. He did come in the top 15 if I remember.

You have to remember he took a hard crash the day before and that he has been out of racing for quite a time. I think it was a good try but he just made a mistake when he made those attacks.

His heart (and wallet) are obviously willing, but his body can seemingly no longer keep up.

His stated goal was to win the Giro, and get a temporary spot on another team to race the Tour. IMHO, that should never be allowed for anyone, anywhere. In his case, he tried throughout the tour to dominate, and failed in every attempt. He blamed his teammates for non-support early on, they changed a bit, and he still did not perform to the standard he was trying for. He even admitted that a few times.

He and Cipollini should just sit and watch the Tour together on TV.

Cheers...Gary

Originally posted by brent_dube
That isn't strength... thats just either him having no tactics, or he cares more about capturing attention for the moment than how well he finishes.
I'd guess the latter. Attention for himself, his sponsors, and to make a statement to his would-be Bianchi team. I wouldn't discredit his tactics... Marco knows he's not going to win the final sprint. Besides, if I recall correctly, Marco's group finished 15" down, Simoni's group on the order of 1'30'. So, he probably improved his GC as well.

SamDaBikinMan, that's just harsh! Besides, Pantani's whining was as loud or louder when he was at the top of his game.

Looking at his Giro performance in isolation, you'd say this guy and his team are world class, but not podium material. Looking at it in light of his entire career, you'd say he's over the hill, but in light of the last couple of years and his age, I'm curious to see how far he can come back and continue to improve. The new talent can, and will, prove itself against the old.

Originally posted by roadbuzz
Besides, if I recall correctly, Marco's group finished 15" down, Simoni's group on the order of 1'30'. So, he probably improved his GC as well.


I'm talking about stage 19. Simoni won and Marco finished almost a minute behind.

Originally posted by gmason
He and Cipollini should just sit and watch the Tour together on TV.
Cheers...Gary

Do I see a pay-per-view special in the making? For $29.95, you can watch Pantani and Cippo watch the tour on TV! Wait a second, taped fishing shows take precedent over live Giro coverage here in the States. I guess that idea is out. Hmmm, how about - "Podium girls gone wild!" http://smilies.jeeptalk.org/ups/layla_phoenix/boobies.gifhttp://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/cwm/cwm/eek5.gifhttp://smilies.jeeptalk.org/ups/layla_phoenix/boobies.gif

It seems like every time Pantani opens his moth he makes a complete donkey out of himself (aka saying he is the only one who can beat Lance this year in the tour (kinda hard when you aren't even in it)). You would think he would figure it out and just let his bike riding to the talking but apparently not.

-Matt-

Originally posted by SamDaBikinMan
Pantani is a washout and any self respecting bike team should tell him to take a hike. Promote the new talent and let the old dogs die. Especially when they begin that awful whining.

I want you to know I spit out my coffee and started to laugh when I read this!

At the end of next season this post might work. At present , Pantani is still riding himself back in.....

14th at 26.15?

-isn't that pretty good for a guy riding himself back in?

strider, i re-read those comments this weekend in the velonews tour preview book... "pantani is the only one who can withstand armstrong." or something like that. yes, referred to himself in the third person. what a tool. can't wait to see the first time he tries to attack and lance just grins and spanks him.

Today's news: Marco Pantani has been hospitalized in a privat clinic with signs of depression.

Pantani won a TdF, no-one can deny him that. That victory alone puts him in rarified company. Having said that maybe his recently stated aims are too high at this point in his career.

One of the high points for me in last year's TdF was the performance of JaJa.

The way he attacked in the mountains, took the KOM in his final TdF and handled himself in the media just oozed class and showed what makes this event so special (reverence for the event, gratitude for the opportunity and humility in performance).

Maybe Pantani's GC days are over and it's time to do something different - attack in the hills - would bring great coverage for the sponsors and mega hope for his devoted fans that the pirate can still win.


Then again it'll be interesting to see if he fronts for the Vuelta.

Originally posted by Jaimie65
Pantani won a TdF, no-one can deny him that. That victory alone puts him in rarified company. Having said that maybe his recently stated aims are too high at this point in his career.

One of the high points for me in last year's TdF was the performance of JaJa.

The way he attacked in the mountains, took the KOM in his final TdF and handled himself in the media just oozed class and showed what makes this event so special (reverence for the event, gratitude for the opportunity and humility in performance).

Maybe Pantani's GC days are over and it's time to do something different - attack in the hills - would bring great coverage for the sponsors and mega hope for his devoted fans that the pirate can still win.


Then again it'll be interesting to see if he fronts for the Vuelta.

Jeez, Pantani is such a tool. Yes he won the TDF, but I wonder what magic juice he was using at the time. When he won, the drug testing was far less intrusive or accurate as it is today. Pantani is a known doper and it would not suprise me one bit if he was doping during his tour win. Hell, I would expect it from him to be honest!

Also, Pantani isn't even in the same class as JaJa..given that Pantani lacks any class at all...

I agree that Pantani has made an ass out of himself and his reputation in recent years ... and also that his Tour wins legitimacy has been put into question. However, the fact remains that he won the 98 Tour, and no drug tests of Pantani taken that year at the tour showed him to be using any kind of illegal drugs to assist him ... therefore I feel he still requires a great deal of respect.

regardless, he'd drop all of our derriers in a heartbeat.

Originally posted by Crack'n'fail
regardless, he'd drop all of our derriers in a heartbeat.

Oh so true - back to reality! :D