20,000 mourn Pantani

Marco Pantani's description of his pain and humiliation shocked fans and family at his funeral yesterday when a friend read out a note written by the Italian cycling great.

The note, scribbled in the weeks before his body was discovered last Saturday, was found over nine pages of Pantani's passport. It was read out by Manuela Ronchi, a friend and former manager of the former Tour de France winner in front of a packed church in his home town, Cesenatico. About 20,000 fans turned up to mourn.

In his note, Pantani, 34, wrote: 'I was humiliated for nothing and I was in the courts for four years. I lost the desire to be like other athletes.

'The sport of cycling paid and lost. I'm suffering with this letter.

'The world understands that all my colleagues have been humiliated in their hotel rooms with hidden TV cameras that tried to ruin many families.

"After that how can you not hurt yourself? I don't know why I stopped myself in these moments of anger.

'If I made mistakes I'd like to know that there is proof but when my sporting life and, above all, my private life was violated, I lost a lot.'

At the funeral, Bishop Antonio Lanfranchi said: 'Marco invites us to make a serious examination of our consciences, of everything that is sport and everything that is broken in sport.

'The man is greater than his victories and defeats.'

Mourners wrapped up against a bitterly cold winter's day wore yellow armbands - the colour of the Tour de France race leader's jersey.

Some waved skull and cross-bones flags, reflecting Pantani's nickname, The Pirate.

Reports in Italy indicate that the the investigation into his death is now focusing on the possibility of a heart attack induced by a combination of drugs prescribed for depression and cocaine.

Police are said to be anxious to locate a suspected drug dealer who is thought to have visited him. Pantani was one of Italy's most popular sportsmen until the 1999 Giro d'Italia when he was thrown out of the race for failing a test for a substance that could indicate the use of performance-enhancing drugs.