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Sport's Strangest Crimes, Marco Pantani: Death of a Pirate, 5. All The World’s A Stage

Sport's Strangest Crimes

Marco Pantani: Death of a Pirate

5. All The World’s A Stage

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July 13, 2023

25 minutes

Available for over a year

Convinced of a setup, Pantani is paranoid and following the money adds fuel to the fire. Why was there so much money in 90s cycling? And who was trying to get their hands on it?

With the help of leading cycling historian Professor John Foot, Italian historian Dr sca Billiani, and Phil Liggett MBE, we learn how, over the course of the 90s, cycling went from a niche continental sport, to a billion-dollar industry - and how one man winning all the time might not have been in everyone’s best interests. From sponsors and gamblers to commercial and criminal enterprises - many had a vested interest in seeing Pantani fall.

It’s time to follow the money.

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