Pantani was a god
Pantani was a god
by Marco Pastonesi
translated by Colin O’Brien
Was Marco Pantani a god, or a cheat? Was he the greatest climber ever seen, or just another doper? Was he the cocksure superstar of Italian cycling that the diamond jewellery and the screaming fans suggested? Or was he the shy kid, troubled but loveable, who struggled with the pressures of fame? Was he to blame for cyclingʼs tarnished reputation, or just another casualty from the sportʼs dark past? Was he good or bad? Angel or devil? Was he any of the above, or was he everything all at once?
If youʼve ever thought that the great debates in cycling were too often black and white, then this is a book for you. Marco Pastonesiʼs portrayal of Pantani avoids the extremes, the blacks and the whites, to paint a true picture of the man as he really was: compelling, complicated, and totally unique.
In almost 10 years as a professional, Marco Pantani won just over 30 races, a modest return compared to the spoils of Coppi or Merckx, Moser or Cipollini. And yet, il Pirata left a mark on cycling's history, and on its people, like no one else before or since. Because he was a climber who came from the sea. Because he took off on Mortirolo and Galibier only to fall into cocaine and depression. Because he was a man alone. Marco Pastonesi reconstructs Pantani's career by collecting unpublished testimonies of those who knew him best, in a polyphony of unexpected voices.
“Okay: don’t be misled by the title of this excellent book. “Pantani Was A God” is not a panegyric, a worshipful recounting of the life of the last pro cyclist to win the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France in the same year. It is two books in one – a masterful look at the great stages where Pantani triumphed, and brief remembrances by those who knew him personally”
“We wanted create something unique with the images and as so much of the legend exists now in well-worn video footage, we recreated these images using the European RGB emitters of a TV screen, as shot from video. It seemed right for the time and culturally where Marco sits in our visual memory. So they were inspired by ‘80s Giro video TV footage, the Adam and the Ants album cover for 'Kings of the wild Frontier’ and the ‘TV Shots’ images shot by Belgian photographer Harry Gruyaert”
– Taz Darling, Bluetrain
“We have Colin O’Brien to thank for this translation; his proven understanding of all things Italian would have helped him with the challenge of ‘making sense of all the dialects and colloquialisms that complicated the original Italian text’. Although published by Rapha Editions, the driving force behind the project is Bluetrain Publishing, which has a justifiable reputation for beautifully presented books”
“So is Pantani Was a God just another hagiography? If it is, it’s a high-class hagiography, with a heart of gold. One that I think is well worth having on your bookshelf”
“Bluetrain publishing are carving an enviable reputation as publishers of admirable note, particularly as curators and partners with Rapha Editions. Their imprint has become not only a mark of quality and originality, but peppered with a smattering of eccentricity”
Some of the people interviewed include
Gino Garoia and Pino Roncucci, the manager and the sports director from G.S. Giacobazzi-Nonantola, Pantani's amateur team. Andrea Agostini, a childhood teammate of Pantani who later became the press officer at Mercatone Uno. Marino Amadori, ex-pro and Pantani's last sports director, now Technical Commissioner for the Italian national U23 men's team. Davide Boifava, ex-pro and team manager of the legendary Carrera team that included Stephen Roche, Roberto Visentini, Giovanni Battaglin, and from 1992-96, Pantani himself. Giuseppe Martinelli, ex-pro turned sports director, with Pantani from 1992-02, has since worked with Vincenzo Nibali and Fabio Aru, now with Astana. Paolo Savoldelli, two-time Giro d'Italia champion. Dino Falconi, Pantani's mechanic from 1997 to ’03. Beppe Conti, journalist and major Italian TV personality. Alfredo Martini, a contemporary of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali who became Italy's most iconic national team manager.
Author biography
Marco Pastonesi is an Italian author and journalist. Before retiring from the Gazzetta dello Sport, he was one of the paperʼs best known columnists and he continues to be one of Italyʼs most loved sports writers. His other books include a collection of stories about Gino Bartali and a biography of rugby legend Jonah Lomu.
Translator biography
Colin OʼBrien is an Irish author and freelance journalist. His first book, Giro dʼItalia: The Story of the Worldʼs Most Beautiful Bike Race, was published in 2017.
Specification
| Dimensions | 160 x 220mm |
| Pagination | 224pp on 135gsm bulky matt art paper |
| Images and text | Printed colour photographs |
| Cover | Flexibound silver-mirror paper with gloss lamination, round spine with foil blocked titles and H&T bands |
| Endpapers | Printed with sealer varnish on 140gsm white uncoated w/f paper |
| Published | 2019 by Rapha Editions |
| ISBN | 978-1-912164-08-0 |