Normally, we use the pages and channels of the Giro d’Italia to wish a happy birthday to the champions who have given their contribution to make the Corsa Rosa the legendary race it is. We relive their achievements, their wins, the goosebump moments they gave us. But when it comes to Marco Pantani, none of that is really necessary.

Because Marco is Marco, for Italians and foreigners alike. Every cycling fan knows – deep down – who the Pirate was and what he did. He struck emotional chords that no one else ever has, not even riders who racked up far more victories than he did.

Some were lucky enough to live through those years, to witness Pantani’s vicious accelerations firsthand – the kind of attacks that blew races to pieces. Others discovered them later, in grainy YouTube clips. But the feeling is the same either way: there’s no one like him. Giro or Tour, win or lose, cycling has a before and an after Marco Pantani. In Italy, even today, for many fans the word cycling still rhymes with his name.

Today the Pirate would have turned 56, and we can’t help wondering what he might be doing now, where he’d be, if he hadn’t left us so soon. Maybe his legend wouldn’t burn quite as bright, or maybe it would have evolved in a different way. In the end, though, it hardly matters. Because Marco still lives on in the hearts of those who loved him and cheered for him. Wherever you are, happy birthday, Pirate.