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Robson Books Ltd Man on the Run: The Life and Death of Marco Pantani
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Man On The Run

BikeRadar verdict

45 out of 5 stars

"A superb insider's view of professional racing, an account of devotion and friendship, and a heart-sinking tale of addiction and personal tragedy"

By Warren Rossiter

We're all aware of the sad demise of 'il Pirata', a sporting tragedy that's so extreme you'd think it was a movie script.

From the incredible feat of winning the Giro and Le Tour in the same year (1998) and being hailed as the saviour of the Tour de France after it'd been torn apart by the Festina scandal, to a debated and suspicious exclusion from the 1999 Giro, which led in no small part to his decline as a rider and a person, concluding tragically with his death on Valentine's Day 2004 surrounded by rumour and truths of his cocaine addiction.

Until this book, that's pretty much all we knew of Pantani's demise, but this is where Manuela Ronchi has put her side of the story forward.

She was Marco Pantani's personal manager for five years and a close friend, and it's this intimacy that really shines through in Man on the Run. Ronchi obviously had great affection and admiration for Marco; and the struggle she and his family and friends went through to try and pull him out of the mire is both moving and clouded with tragedy (as we know the outcome).

Where Man on the Run lifts itself beyond a standard cycling biography is the insiders' view of the machinations and politics of professional cycling. You get a real sense of (excuse the pun) how the wheels turn in the big money world of the grand tours and governing bodies, yet at no time is it a dry and emotionless account, with the Italian temperament of those involved never far from the surface.

In all, Man on the Run is a great read with inspiring accounts of Pantani being a racer who wore his heart on his sleeve and where willpower always took precedence over tactics.

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  • User review of Robson Books Ltd Man on the Run: The Life and Death of Marco Pantani

    I read this book before The Death of Marco Pantani: A Biography by Matt Rendell and found the two quite contrasting. Ronchi's account seems to come from the heart and is quite emotional where as Rendell's reads more as a piece of investigative journalism with some interesting research on the alleged doping throughout Pantani's career. While Ronchi was obviously very devoted to Pantani she approaches the subject of his doping with rose tinted spectacles and seems to paint him as an innocent. Although Pantani was a victim of the system to some degree he was also a willing participant, something that comes across clearly in Rendell's account of his demise.

    At times Ronchi also seems keen to paint herself as being beyond reproach and Pantani's only friend in the dark world of cycling, something that is often a little stomach churning to read. Her lack of knowledge of the technical aspects of the sport is also quite noticeable, particularly when describing Pantani's bikes and equipment used during races.

    Overall not a bad book, but only when read alongside the Rendell book.

    0.3
  • User review of Robson Books Ltd Man on the Run: The Life and Death of Marco Pantani

    I agree with Grimpeur. I think Rendells book is the definitive book to read on Pantani and is a bit more honest. Also, Rendell makes several references to the innaccuracies in Ronchi's book. I think she was too emotionally involved to write an accurate account of his demise. Still, it has a few interesting insights as you'd expect from his manager.

    0.3

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Man on the Run: The Life and Death of Marco Pantani
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Robson Books Ltd
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