Bikes of the Bunch: Bianchi Mega Pro XL Reparto Corse

The name “Marco Pantani” conjures up images of bold attacks, ascending like a bird in the drops and descending like a devil behind the saddle. And regardless of what you might say about his flaws — in cycling and in life — there’s little doubt “Il Pirata” rode with a level of panache rarely seen these days.

Marco Pantani etched his name into cycling history in 1998 when he became one of only seven riders to win both the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in the same year. Riding with the Mercatone Uno team, his bike was produced by Italian manufacturer Bianchi and painted in the famous Bianchi celeste with the yellow of Mercatone Uno.

Equipped with Campagnolo 9s Record, which had only been released the year prior, the Bianchi Mega Pro XL Reparto Corse was a racing machine of the highest standard, as demonstrated by the results achieved by those who rode it.

Of course 1998 was a year also made famous by the Festina Affair which saw riders protest during the Tour de France, with Marco Pantani as their mouthpiece. The image of him sitting on the ground is equally as iconic as his stage 15 win in soggy conditions to Les Deux Alpes.

Pantani and his team rode an alloy version of this frame. The bike pictured features lightweight Boron steel with beautifully bowed seat stays.

Forza Marco!

Specs

Frame – Bianchi Mega Pro XL Reparto Corse, Boron Steel
Fork – Time Carbon
Stem – ITM
Headset – Campagnolo Record
Bars – ITM Super Italia Pro 260
Brakes – Campagnolo Record
Derailleur – Campagnolo Record 9s
Shifters – Campagnolo 9s
Cassette – Campagnolo Record
Cranks – Campagnolo Record 175mm
Wheels – Campagnolo Proton clincher
Tyres – Vittoria Corsa CX
Saddle – Selle Italia signature edition, Ti rails
Seat pillar – Campagnolo Record Titanium 27.2
Bidon cages – Ciussi Inox

Today’s Bikes of the Bunch appears courtesy of Andy White of FYXO. If you’re not familiar with the site, check it out here.

A feature-length documentary, ‘Pantani: The Accidental Death of a Cyclist’ has been put together for the 10th anniversary of Pantani’s death (February this year) with FYXO and Madman Entertainment bringing screenings of the film to Australia in early July. Click here for details.

Sean

Awesome bike!
Ian Pickering

Simply stunning! - amazed at the big gears Marco used to smash up those cols.
Jake C

Those bottle cages look interesting… Got any close-ups?
- max
  
  I think this is what they are:
  http://www.elite-it.com/blog/products/ciussi-inox/
gotee

Great bike, but not really a Pantani special as it’s steel.
As you point out, he was always on a super light, compact aluminium frame - much more avant-garde - proper Pantani.

In ten years time are we going to be looking at an alloy CAAD10 in Cannondale Factory racing colours and saying - “it’s an alloy version of Sagan’s bike from 2014″?
- Notso Swift
  
  …and Pantani’s bike was made in France with Bianchi stickers…
  
  Still a great looking bike and I am glad we get to see it
  - binotto
    
    Really interesting. Who was the French builder? (I always assumed it was Dario Pegoretti that had built Marco’s frames.)
    - Notso Swift
      
      Mercatore from the later 90’s were Francis Quillon. Pegarotti did Carrera. It would be fair to say that Dario (or his US distributor) is better at marketing, but vastly more top Pro frames came from the former, especially in alloy and carbon
      - binotto
        
        Aha. Many thanks! I saw Pantani’s “Bianchi” when he rode in Denmark one year, and the welds were just flawless.
- real talk
  
  “In ten years time are we going to be looking at an alloy CAAD10 in
  Cannondale Factory racing colours and saying - “it’s an alloy version of
  Sagan’s bike from 2014″?”
  
  No, because today’s bike are disposable and only weirdos will collect them.
SaddleNerd

I know Selle Italia also did pro signature saddles for Cipo, Virenque and Tinker Juarez - were any other pros immortalized in saddle leather?
- Gordon
  
  They did a very limited Contador, just before his enforced rest if my memory serves meNo sit sure if it was leather. Merckx also, but agin not sure if leather…..and may not even be Selle Italia. Will check in the garage tomorrow as I don’t want to wake the dog……..It is late after all
- Peter Il Pirata
  
  Claudio Chiappucci
Justin

Lovely gruppo particularly the chainset and the seatpost, oh so elegante! And the Flite saddle, never bettered for looks and comfort.
Ian

Beautiful. Perfect Friday viewing.
Roberj4

Good to see the stem not ‘slammed’ which is the current fashion but with correct spacing. Surprised with the 175mm cranks, wasn’t Marco short in height?
- Mark
  
  Correct spacing is whatever fits the rider. Having said that, this frame doesn’t look like a natural fit for its owner. The stem is too short for the size of frame and the bars are rotated too far back, both of which will throw the rider’s weight rearwards. The large amount of saddle setback will only exacerbate this problem. This is a nice bike, but I can’t imagine it would handle too well with its current set up.
Steve G

A bike I’d literally kill for!
Dick Prick

For those who can’t read, this is not Pantani’s actual race bike. It’s made of different material, and is also much larger than his frame size. His shifters were also carbon and not the alloy version.

Bikes of the Bunch: Bianchi Mega Pro XL Reparto Corse

by Andy White (FYXO)

Specs