That Aprica day launched Pantani and crashed Indurain’s options in his third Giro
These days I am hearing and reading a lot about Pantani, a lot about that cyclist who, as I said a few days ago, made us feel things that few others transmitted to us sensations that had kilometer zero, that stage with Indurain in Aprica.
What happens with Pantani is esoteric, something that escapes reason, something crazy.
We know his end and the crux of his life was linked to doping, but he is forgiven, he looks the other way, his magic can do everything and believe me I have heard it out loud from people around him, from Romagnolos, people who He does not admire him, he idolizes him.
All to the point that the second stage of this Tour de France, the one from Cesenatico to Bologna will be the “Marco Pantani stage.”
And everyone understands and justifies it, applauds it.
Of course, what the aforementioned Pantani made us feel that afternoon, with Indurain on the way to Aprica, was so strong that it floats above everything else.
Let me remember: Everything happened on June 5
The 1994 Giro walked through the boot with the established order in question.
A blonde, a Russian, named Eugeny Berzin dominated the test from its opening chapters. Hit in Campitello Matese and hit in the flat time trial in Follonica.
Indurain, Miguel Indurain beaten in a solo test. Alarm.
Things could return to their place in a stage that crossed the heart of the Dolomites, from Merano, where the day before a young but bald cyclist, Marco Pantani, had won alone against Aprica. In between three colossi, from highest to lowest altitude.
First the Stelvio, between icy clouds and incipient mist, with nothing new other than the invisible wear and tear of the heroes..
Then in the Mortirolo, bigger words, everything would explode.
Starting from the base was Marco Pantani, the bald boy from the day before, the youngster who threatened to eclipse Claudio Chiapucci.
With Pantani went Armand De Las Cuevas, the frustrated boxer, and Berzin, bouncy, blond, pink jersey.
Indurain, still behind.
The meters pass painfully, and Pantani’s rhythm is a roller.
De las Cuevas fell, Indurain surpassed him from behind.
Berzin falls, the Navarrese yunke would hunt him down, mature him and leave him before the top.
In the descent Indurain is on track to get its third Giro back on track, caught Pantani making a common front, with Nelson “Cacaíto” Rodriguez as a witness to all that. The third climb remained, the simplest, a process called Valico di Santa Cristina before Aprica.
But the process stalled. Pantani starts and Indurain collapsed, dead, battered and dry.
The advantage that put him in a position to win the Giro would disappear.
What a day that was.
2024-02-23 23:01:49
#day #Aprica #hung #Pantani #Indurain
