Former Tour de France winner Pantani found dead: report
Former Tour de France winner Marco Pantani has been found dead in the Italian seaside resort of Rimini, according to a report on the website of Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.

The report quoted local police officials.

The coach of the Italian national cycling team Franco Ballerini was quoted as saying "It's something that is so huge, it doesn't seem true".

The flamboyant 34-year-old Italian had not competed professionally for the past two years due to various inquests by police and authorities into alleged drug-taking.

Pantani, nicknamed 'Il Pirate' (the Pirate) for his wearing of earrings and colourful headbands, sensationally won the Tour of Italy and the Tour de France in 1998.

His last professional team was Mercatone Uno, which he joined in 1997.

Despite his legal wrangles Pantani was one of the most popular riders in the professional peloton.

However after a successful career throughout much of the 1990's Pantani's career hit the skids in the wake of the tough anti-doping laws introduced in Italy after the 1999 Tour of Italy when a police blitz on riders' hotels caused a major scandal.

Pantani was one of the targeted riders during that particular raid.

Tests showed his blood haematocrit levels to be abnormally high - an indicator but not proof that a rider may be using endurance-enhancing drugs.

Last July Pantani, who attempted a comeback at the 2002 Tour of Italy but was forced to pull out on the 16th stage, was admitted to a clinic specialising in nervous disorders, drug addiction and alcoholism.