4 June 1998: fragments of one of my late spring afternoon.

"He has taken away his bandana: now go!". I understand immediately, I got excited, stuck at the TV.

From the living room I reach with the thought Pantani’s bicycle, who was going on the pedals, climbs the harpin bends of Montecampione, leaving behind everyone.

I incite the "pirate" who gets away in the screen; I’m excited but in silence,.

I’d like to eliminate the intrusive crowd; I’m feeling relieved because he’s arriving at the last kilometre. Pantani wins, the only at the tape. I like breath and I exult with him lifting up my arms.

The champions of the cycling often become idols for one as me who was 13 years and Marco Pantani has loved and invincible in the loneliness of "pink shirt", lovable in his nice face.

But we ingeniously, think that idols are immortal winners and we can’t accept their decline and we’re bewildered in front of the final defeat.

That bright star of cycling who was Marco Pantani has died down definitely. It had shined in the star system of the last years but he couldn’t reach his position in the sport and in the life; fast the depression has helped him to get away in the wrong mode, destroying himself.

Rivers of words has been said about Pantani’s death. A lot of rhetoric and polemics after the terrible event.

Adding other words is useless now, searching in his premature death of a man, a private event of the grief of people who really knew him.

A dramatic story of a super champion will be for ever for everyone, a champion who propagates self reproaches in his fans’ heart because they’ve forgotten him, when people didn’t talk much about him and he has become scapegoat of doping.

For every sportsman who was moved because of the winning achievements of Pirate or at the "Tour". On the street or on TV, after the regret. We’ll remember the unforgettable moments in which Pantani ran wonderfully on the mountains and memories are indelible because they’re personals and touching.

The memories of his exciting competitions, are different in everyone. Will persist in the time and own time will provide to take him far from our daily gossip, with his faults and his merits.

Written by Marika Mastrototaro ( free8@itcgbianchi.mi.it )