Marco Pantani was the last cyclist to win Giro and Tour in the same season. He died of a cocaine overdose, sadness and hopelessness, on Valentine's night 2004.

He was more persecuted than anyone else, perhaps because he was like no one else, different from everyone, and an ounce of madness. He rebelled against the Tour in '98, the Tour Festina, the police in the hotels, cyclists and directors spending the night naked in the police station, packages of EPO in the English Channel upon returning from Dublin.