The Memorial Marco Pantani is an Italian one-day race dedicated to one of the most celebrated climbers in modern cycling history. Held in Romagna, the region where Marco Pantani grew up and began racing, the event connects the roads around Cesenatico with the hills that helped shape him as a rider, turning the race into both a professional competition and an annual remembrance.
Around the Peloton explores the Memorial through Pantani’s connection with this landscape, from the Adriatic coast to the climbs and communities of the Romagna hills. Along the route, monuments, historic towns and traces of local cycling culture reveal why Pantani’s story remains so closely tied to this part of Italy, decades after his victories on the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France made him an international cycling icon.
A Personal Note There was never really a choice about where this article had to begin. Marco Pantani is the man who brought me to cycling. I have followed many sports, watched great athletes and teams, celebrated victories and lived…
