Cycling: The Pantani case keeps the Italian judiciary busy. After new leads emerged, the public prosecutor's office resumed the investigation.
The great Italian cycling star Marco Pantani was found surprisingly dead in his hotel room in Rimini on February 14, 2004. An overdose of cocaine was given as the cause of death and third-party negligence was ruled out. However, the Italian public prosecutor's office has now announced that new evidence has emerged which means that the case must be reopened. There was even speculation that the body might be exhumed.
The Italian daily newspaper "Gazetto dello Sport" is now bringing sensational information to light. After interviewing the two nurses who first entered Pantani's room, Gazetto dello Sport reports that "no cocaine was found near the body". The two women said they were certain nothing of the sort was found, as they had to provide police with detailed reports of objects and medicines found near the body.
This information fuels speculation that Pantani may have been the victim of a crime. Under pressure from Pantani's mother, the public prosecutor's office resumed the investigation in August