Customer Reviews

Man on the Run: The Life and Death of Marco Pantani

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I think the phrase, lost in translation, applies to this book. I waited months for it to be sent after I pre-ordered it. It was available in Europe at the beginning of the year, but that's ok, they were probably translating it. Unfortunately, it "feels" very translated, if that makes sense.

While I appreciate the insight from Ronchi because she was someone who was very close to Pantani and obviously tried to help him, at times I felt like it was her just justifying her actions to the world with a series of choppy responses to criticisms that were made about her part in his life.

My feeling at the end of the book; it rambled, that's how I felt. BUT, there was no way I was not going to buy this book because as a cycling fan, Pantani was one of the unique talents from the recent batch. If only he could have straightened himself out, he would have given Lance some serious competition in the mountains during his other tour wins. This guy won 2 major stage races in 1998, the Giro and the Tour de France, beating Julich, Ulrich and other prominent riders at the time. He was on course to do it again in 1999, but a test registered a high Hemocrit level (same thing we are seeing today with top stars)the night before his Giro win. It really was all down hill from there.

On a side note, I seriously wonder about these tests. One has to ask why would someone at the top of their game risk cheating when they know they are in the most highly tested sport in the world. I am thinking about Tyler Hamilton and Roberto Heras. Barry Bonds admits to steroid use but is still in baseball? Cyclists take a substance that is used for treating Anemia and they are vilified. (back off my soap box)

The book by John Wilcockson, Marco Pantani: The Legend of a Tragic Champion was much better written, researched, put together, etc. It is a different perspective, that of a reporter, but this guy has been on the cycling scene forever, knows all the big names personally and just has a real historical perspective about him. His book on following Lance in his tour victory, stage by stage, 23 days in July was also outstanding.

The life and death of cycling champion Marco Pantani is a tragedy on many levels, especially the way such a public figure died at age 34 from a cocaine overdose while in a hotel room, far removed from a career based on his aggressive style as a mountain climber in the classic races that catapulted him into pop culture prominence.

Attempting to shed light on the triumphs, tragedies and controversies is Mauela Ronchi, Pantani's manager for five years. With co-author Gianfranco Josti, Ronchi pens a biography that is equally touching and sad; while it strips away the flamboyant cycling persona of "The Pirate" and delves into the personal and family aspects which was Pantani, the life in the shadows - the controversies surrounding the use of performance-enhancing drugs and a variety of inner demons - is gingerly touched upon. At times the text deflates when it takes a tone of Ronchi trying to answer critics who questioned her role as Pantani's life swirled so out of control.

This is a part of a tragic story, but written by someone much to close to deliver a definitive account on a man who was on the run until he could no longer stay ahead of the calls from a haunted soul.