A judge in Italy has closed an investigation into allegations that the Camorra switched Marco Pantani’s blood samples during the 1999 Giro d’Italia, causing him to be ejected from the race, with the Naples-based crime syndicate thereby avoiding heavy losses on money gambled on his victory.
The closure of the inquiry follows similar action taken in June regarding an unrelated investigation into the death in Rimini in 2004 of the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia-winning cyclist, whose family now plan to take the issue to Italy’s anti-mafia authorities.
> Judge says Marco Pantani “wasn’t murdered”
In March last year, prosecutors outlined the hypothesis that the Camorra had been responsible for switching Pantani’s blood samples ahead of the start of the penultimate stage of the 1999 Giro when he was poised to win the race, resulting in his being ejected from the race for a haematocrit count beyond the permitted threshold.7
> Prosecutors say Camorra DID fix 1999 Giro d'Italia so Marco Pantani would lose
However, two months ago at the conclusion of their investigation, they said that even if that had been the case it was impossible to identify anyone who might have been involved and with potential criminal charges time-barred in any event, they recommended that the case be closed.
Judge Monica Galassi, presiding over the case in Forli in Pantani’s home region of Emilia Romagna, did just that yesterday and also refused a request by a lawyer acting for his family to have the case transferred to anti-mafia authorities in Naples.
Pantani family lawyer Antonio De Rensis, quoted in La Gazzetta dello Sport, said the decision had not surprised him or his clients and that they had already decided to report the issue to the relevant local anti-mafia authorities by September.
“I respect the court’s decision,” he added, “but I have the tools and will fight right until the end. The word ‘end’ should only be said when it is truly over.
Speaking of Pantani’s mother, Tonina, he said: “Today she is as any mother would be who has read the transcripts where the Camorra say that someone had been bribed to switch the test tubes. Evidently, for some, this isn’t enough.”
My 6KU, replaced everything but the front chainring over the past 5 years.
This was a very good listing of bikes for under 1,000....
Radar tells me their closing speed, if they are slowing and how far away. Then I decide to say a prayer. The change of light pattern is incidental.
Quite so, which is why our village 20mph zone covers the whole residential extent. Of course, enforcement is another thing..
£4.
No, that's very doubtful while proper testing would be fully destructive.
What's wrong with dropping down on to the Millenium Bridge, or the swing bridge, then the brief, but satisfying climb back up the hill? #training....
The relatives might of course disagree, but in general I'd countenance a relatively light sentence* if only we could fix it so that those who...
Id forgotten that I got a second hand set of project two's for my getting to work bike over twenty years back.
My bet is that all these tires popping off are from people with bad pressure gauges or they're simply just putting too much air in on purpose. ...