Cadel Evans celebrates his 2011 Tour de France victory during Yellow Jersey presentation. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours)

See all winners of the Tour de France since 1947.

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Cyclist Marco Pantani’s death is one of the most tragic events in recent sports history. After winning both the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia in 1998, he was expected to dominate cycling well into the next decade. Instead, he was caught in a blood-doping scandal, disappeared from view, and, in 2004, was found dead of cocaine poisoning.

Matt Rendell tells Pantani’s story with an investigative reporter’s zeal for the facts and a novelist’s skill for depicting deeper truths. He debunks the conspiracy theories that have circulated about Pantani’s demise, and also reveals other startling findings about the dark underside of the cycling world.

Rendell does a good job of chronicling the young Pantini and the promise he showed in his early races. He details his family life and the seeds for his later emotional issues.

Rendell works analytically and steps through the events related to Marco’s medical evidence of doping, his mental and social issues, and his eventual death. I have read other reviews in which readers expressed disappointment that Pantani’s pro racing victories are not highlighted more in the book. I think the title explains Rendell’s focus and as long as the reader in interested in learning more about Pantani as a man in addition to a cycling champion, I think this is a very good read.

In the realm of sports, no contest is more challenging, heroic and spectacular than the Tour de France. This annual three-week odyssey across plains and over mountains in all types of weather is a true test of a cyclist’s athletic qualities and his mental strengths. To win the world’s most testing bicycle raced takes focused preparation, a strong team and a wide range of skills.
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This anthology encompasses a quarter-century’s worth of stories about the unique and fascinating sport of racing by one of the world’s most awarded cycling journalists.
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In conjunction with the manufacturers’ 75th Anniversary, Velo Press recently released the book Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion. Whether you are a member of the Campy cult, a user of their components or a fan of cycling history, this book is worth a read.
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