Every time Valentine’s Day comes around, thoughts inevitably go up there. For those who love and have loved cycling, 14 February is a cursed day.

14 February is the day Marco Pantani passed away.

A void that has never been filled, especially for Italian fans who, like never before during those years, spent entire afternoons in front of the television, waiting for an attack from the Pirate.

Piancavallo, Montecampione, Oropa, Alpe di Pampeago, and countless other climbs. At the Giro d’Italia, Pantani wrote some of the most beautiful pages of his all-too-short life. He would come like a storm on the mountains of our country, setting jaw-dropping records and delivering unforgettable masterpieces. In that year of 1998, when he won both the Giro and the Tour, everyone wanted to be Marco Pantani.

21 years after his death, it is still hard to come to terms with this loss. 21 years later, all we can do is continue to remember him and enjoy the videos of his exploits, because those truly never die.

21 years later, we still miss Marco.