Image 1 of 57 Marco Pantani at the 1997 Fleche Wallonne where he would finish in 5th place on the day to Laurent Jalabert. (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 2 of 57 Pantani on the podium after his first professional victory in Merano at the 1994 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 3 of 57 Pantani smiles after taking a second consecutive stage at trhe 1994 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 4 of 57 Pantani on the attack while wearing the best young rider's white jersey in the 1994 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 5 of 57 A young but happy Pantani (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 6 of 57 Pantani leads Evgeni Berzin and Tony Rominger in the 1995 Giro del Trentino (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 7 of 57 Pantani works in the gym after breaking his leg in 1995 (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 8 of 57 Pantani attacks out of the saddle in the 1995 Tour de France (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 9 of 57 A pensive Marco Pantani (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 10 of 57 Pantani on the way to victory at L'Alpe d'Huez in the 1997 Tour de France (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 11 of 57 Pantani wins in Morzine at the 1997 Tour (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 12 of 57 Marco Pantani post-race (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 13 of 57 A smiling Pantani savours his first pink in Selva Val Gardena (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 14 of 57 Marco Pantani in action at the 2002 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti) Image 15 of 57 Fans of Marco Pantani at the 2013 road world championships in Florence, Italy (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 16 of 57 Marco Pantani on the back of a six-man group during a mountain stage of the 2003 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 17 of 57 Marco Pantani enjoys plenty of fan support during the 2003 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 18 of 57 Marco Pantani regroups after crashing during the 2003 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 19 of 57 Marco Pantani in the mountains during stage 18 at the 2003 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 20 of 57 Marco Pantani regroups after crashing during the 2003 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 21 of 57 Marco Pantani in action during the 2003 Giro d'Italia, the final Grand Tour of his career (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 22 of 57 Marco Pantani on the attack during the 2001 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 23 of 57 Marco Pantani with Mercatone Uno teammate Daniele De Paoli at the 2001 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 24 of 57 Marco Pantani at home in the mountains during the 2000 Tour de France (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 25 of 57 Marco Pantani on the attack ahead of maglia rosa Gilberto Simoni during stage 19 of the 2003 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 26 of 57 Marco Pantani pushes the pace during the 2003 Giro d'Italia and is followed by Dario Frigo, Wladimir Belli, Gilberto Simoni and Yarolslav Popovych (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 27 of 57 Professional cyclists pay their respects at the grave of Marco Pantani (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 28 of 57 Gilberto Simoni pays his respects at the grave of Marco Pantani after winning the Memorial Marco Pantani race in 2005 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 29 of 57 The Marco Pantani memorial in his hometown of Cesenatico (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 30 of 57 Marco Pantani bundled up against the elements during the 2002 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 31 of 57 Marco Pantani in action during the 2002 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 32 of 57 Marco Pantani in action during the 2002 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 33 of 57 Marco Pantani and Davide Cassani at the start of the 2002 Liege-Bastogne-Liege (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 34 of 57 Marco Pantani pushes the pace during a mountain stage at the 2001 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 35 of 57 The custom saddle of 'Il Pirata' Marco Pantani (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 36 of 57 Lance Armstrong leads Marco Pantani and Roberto Heras on a mountain stage at the 2000 Tour de France (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 37 of 57 Marco Pantani in action at the 2000 Tour de France where he won two stages prior to withdrawing. (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 38 of 57 Marco Pantani in action during the 1998 Giro d'Italia, which he would win overall (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 39 of 57 Marco Pantani uncorks the bubbly after winning the first of two stages at the 1998 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 40 of 57 Maro Pantani wins stage 14 at the 1998 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 41 of 57 Marco Pantani at the 1998 Giro d'Italia, which he would win overall. (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 42 of 57 Marco Pantani leads Richard Virenque and maillot jaune Jan Ullrich at the 1997 Tour de France (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 43 of 57 Marco Pantani celebrates his solo victory on Alpe d'Huez in stage 13 at the 1997 Tour de France (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 44 of 57 The final GC podium at the 1997 Tour de France (L-R): mountains winner Richard Virenque, 2nd; Jan Ullrich, 1st; Marco Pantani 3rd (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 45 of 57 Marco Pantani in action during the 1997 Tour de France where he would win two stages and place third overall. (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 46 of 57 Marco Pantani climbs behind maglia rosa wearer Pavel Tonkov at the 1997 Giro d'Italia. Pantani would withdraw after stage 8 following a crash. (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 47 of 57 Marco Pantani attacked on the Cipressa during the 1999 edition of Milano-Sanremo (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 48 of 57 Defending Giro d'Italia champion in the maglia rosa during the 1999 edition of the Italian Grand Tour (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 49 of 57 Marco Pantani on the podium after winning the Mont Ventoux stage at the 2000 Tour de France (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 50 of 57 Marco Pantani and Ivan Gotti climb head-to-head in the 1999 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 51 of 57 Marco Pantani in the overall lead at the 1999 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 52 of 57 Marco Pantani time trials in the maglia rosa in stage 18 of the 1999 Giro d'Italia. Two stages later he would be expelled after a failed haematocrit test (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 53 of 57 A determined Marco Pantani leads Ivan Gotti during the 1999 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 54 of 57 Marco Pantani resplendent in the maglia rosa during the 1999 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 55 of 57 Marco Pantani wore the maglia rosa at the 1999 Giro d'Italia, but was expelled from the race with two stages remaining while in the overall lead (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 56 of 57 A Pantani fan at the 1999 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 57 of 57 Marco Pantani in the maglia rosa at the 1999 Giro d'Italia, which he would leave in disgrace after a failed haematocrit test (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

February 14, St Valentine's Day, marks the anniversary of the death of Marco Pantani, one of cycling’s most flamboyant characters who was found dead in a Rimini hotel room in 2004. His fantastic successes at a time of the sport’s greatest excesses have produced a vibrant yet tarnished legacy.

Pantani turned professional with the Carrera jeans team in the summer of 1992 and took his first professional victory with the team in 1994, with back to back victories in the mountains of the 1994 Giro d'Italia. He went on to finish second behind Evgeni Berzin and ahead of Miguel Indurain.

The Mercatone Uno team was created around Pantani in 1997 and he would remain with the Italian chain-store through the remainder of his professional cycling career which came to a conclusion following the 2003 Giro d'Italia, the Italian's final race where he finished 14th overall.

Pantani's stint with Mercatone Uno included both the pinnacle of his career - the 1998 Giro d'Italia/Tour de France double, the last time a rider has won both Grand Tours in a single season - and its nadir at the 1999 Giro d'Italia where Pantani would be expelled from the race with two stages remaining, while in the maglia rosa, due to an elevated haematocrit.

Pantani returned to racing the next year in 2000, winning two stages at the Tour de France including a head-to-head duel with Lance Armstrong on the slopes of Mont Ventoux, but he was never the same again.

Italian photographer Emanuele Sirotti lived just a few kilometres from Pantani and captured some iconic images of Pantani in his early years. Tim De Waele captured many of Pantani's exploits on the bike during the Italian's Mercatone Uno years from 1997 through 2003.

Click here to view the gallery.