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Jun 2023
2m 11s

Marco Pantani: Death of a Pirate: Traile...

Bbc Radio 5 Live
About this episode

When Italy’s greatest cyclist is mysteriously found dead, sensational allegations of mafia involvement see the world of cycling collide, headfirst, with the murky underworld of organised crime.

Over the course of this podcast, we’ll travel from the mountains of rural Italy, to the shady commercial underbelly of a sport on the rise, as - two decades on - the police, historians and our cycling-obsessed host Hugh Dennis try to answer once and for all what really happened to Marco Pantani.

With allegations of doping, race-fixing, gambling, and corruption, 90s cycling provides the backdrop for one of the most dramatic questions in sport - and criminal - history… would the mafia really kill a cyclist?

Welcome to Marco Pantani: Death of a Pirate.

New episodes released weekly. If you’re in the UK, listen to the newest episodes of Sport’s Strangest Crimes first on BBC Sounds.

Up next
Jun 2023
Marco Pantani: Death of a Pirate: 1. The Cursed Champion
In February 2004, 20,000 mourners lined the streets to pay their respects at the funeral of superstar cyclist, Marco Pantani.In November 2021, a new inquiry into Pantani’s death was announced - this time investigating the theory that the Italian mafia might have been involved in ... Show More
30m 16s
Jun 2023
Marco Pantani: Death of a Pirate: 2. Ain't No Mountain High Enough
With doping, drug funds, and dawn raids, the 1998 Tour de France is one of the most infamous races in cycling history. In the aftermath of the Festina Affair, it looks like the Tour will be damaged for good. But one man emerges victorious - Marco Pantani, the plucky underdog, and ... Show More
26m 17s
Jun 2023
Marco Pantani: Death of a Pirate: 3. Bad Blood
When cyclists begin dying in alarming numbers, all eyes are on a mysterious new drug. But what is EPO? How does it work? And could it be used to manipulate a race result?.With the help of Professor David Cowan OBE, we hear how it might have been possible to take performance enhan ... Show More
25m 34s
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