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Marco starts the 1999 Giro D’Italia as a superstar. But a late-stage disqualification means he finishes in disgrace. Humiliated, Marco and his allies are quick to cry conspiracy.

It’s 1999, and Marco Pantani is riding high after his Tour de France victory - both the bad boy of cycling, and the saviour of the sport. The 1999 Giro D’Italia seems to be made for him, and he leads the race by over 20 minutes - until a late-stage disqualification stops the pirate in his bike tracks.

With the other riders overjoyed, rumours about criminal betting, conspiracies - and even the mafia - abound, but the pirate refuses to go down without a fight.

As Pantani flies too close to the sun, who might be watching from the shadows?

New episodes released Thursday. If you’re in the UK, listen to the full series of Sport’s Strangest Crimes - first on BBC Sounds - bbc.in/3PbXQxv

Narrated by Hugh Dennis, with the voice of Iain Ferrier

Sound design: Rich Evans
Additional production: Lorenzo Bodrero, Matt Kenyon and Ed Morrish

Writer and producer: Katie Sayer
Executive producer: Jon Holmes

Available now

23 minutes

Broadcast

  • Sun 30 Jul 2023 00:30

Podcast