Tour de France 1998 (1998)

"Pantani Joins the Greats!"

A wonderful victory for the Italian pirate Marco Pantani, who, in an incident packed Tour, becomes the first Italian winner since the great Felice Gimondi in 1965. Temperatures hit 40 degrees and the Pyrenees came into sight. Be enthralled by the Italian "Pirate" Marco Pantani's electrifying riding as he attacked Ullirch on the road to the Plateau de Beille. In one of the most exciting stage for years, he dug deep in the driving rain and mist to win at Les Deux-Alpes. He rides to a brilliant third place in the time-trial and then on to the Champs Elysees, where he becomes the first Italian Tour de France winner since Felice Gimondi in 1965 and equals the double of "il campionissimo" Fausto Coppi in 1952. Historic and unmissable. Commentary by Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen