Armstrong might have no tour wins at all if not for Pantani being destroyed by the masonic powers of his own country. Because in 1999, just prior to his Giro exclusion, Marco was lightyears ahead of his form in 1998 (when he won Giro and Tour). Pantani would miss the 1999 Tour de France which was won that year by Lance Armstrong. In 2000 Pantani was half the rider he was in 1998 from the legal and mediacal assault he had to indure for over a year, and still he managed to put Armstrong in difficulty on Mt. Ventoux where they both arrived together at the finish. After which Armstrong declared he had let him have the win. Quite an unsporting comment, even if it was true that Armstrong did not try a sprint for the finish. After which at Courcheval, Pantani left Armstrong in his wake by a minute and a half, winning in solitude. Armstrong could no longer say he let him win. And so tired was Armstrong that at Morzine I believe, he lost time to Ullrich his closest rival on the GC. At Morzine Pantani once again launched an attack, this time from very far away and in total solitude, which once again put Armstrong and his team under stress. The attack failed as we know, and Pantani was never seen again at the Tour. But Armstrong was of course most angry with Marco for upstaging him in the mountains and the damage to his overall lead that he payed in responding to those attacks.
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