"There are more questions now than ever before" - Italian journalist doesn't think that mystery surrounding Marco Pantani's death can be solved

There are questions surrounding the death of Marco Pantani that will never be answered, according to an Italian journalist who is part a new BBC podcast Pantani: Death of a Pirate.

Speaking to CyclingWeekly this week, Lorenzo Bodrero, an Italian journalist who specialises in organised crime said. "Honestly, I doubt anyone in our profession can answer the questions surrounding Pantani's death. Actually there are more questions now than there were ever before."

"Knowing how former organised crime members are treated in the system, I doubt they will link his death with organised crime. It has always sounded plausible, possible. It wouldn't have been a unique occurrence."

"It's not just about cycling, I was growing up when Pantani was at the end of his career, and even I got impassioned about cycling," Bodrero said. "I cared about him, I felt proud of him being Italian. He's definitely one of the most important athletes in the history of our country."