Bianchi Mercatone Uno Pantani Replica

The story of Marco Pantani is one of struggle, triumph and tragedy. Few riders of recent history have inspired cycling fans around the globe to a point that would be comparable with Marco Pantani's influence in the late 1990s.
His story has often been told and we will not try to repeat it. If you are not familiar with his life, we recommend you watch the documentary "Pantani: The Accidental Death of a Cyclist"

When Pantani, il Pirata, won the double of the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in 1998, he was the first Italian to achieve this triumph after Fausto Coppi almost 50 years before. And like Fausto Coppi, he did so on a Bianchi.
Many people admired the Pirate for his fighting spirit and the way he pushed up the alpine switchbacks on his team Mercatone Uno Bianchi. To no surprise, there rose a certain desire among his fans, to own something which belonged to this star or his team or at least to build a replica of his bike.

And here we present such a bike. This Marco Pantani Bianchi Team Mercatone 1999 is a high class replica where nothing has been left short. It is based on a lightweight frame made of triple butted SC61.10A heat treated aluminium alloy made by Dedacciai. It sports the paintjob used by il Pirata in the decisive 1999 season and also most of the parts.

It is equipped with Campagnolo Record 9-speed groupset with titanium and carbon fiber parts. In the front there is the carbon fiber fork from Time and Pantani's favourite ITM cockpit setup. Exquisite is the lightweight Campagnolo Nucleon wheelset, specifically designed for racing and agile acceleration when climbing. The finishing touches like Flite Titanium Pantani saddle or the team bottle are the necessary but also valuable fan objects.

This bike is for true Pantani fans, but has not just this one dimension, however already appealing. Is is also a true racing machine in great condition which rides like a dream. It weights just mere 7.5 kg (!) after all. And when road starts to get steep, you can grab the bars by the drops, shift to the higher gear and pay tribute to the champion of the people.