In 2000, two giants of cycling – Lance Armstrong and Marco Pantani – climbed Mont Ventoux in a dramatic battle to win stage 12 of the Tour de France.
Armstrong went on to win this Tour, and a further five in the years that followed, before being unceremoniously stripped of all his titles due to doping.
Pantani, who never raced in the Tour again, died of a drugs overdose in 2004.
Armstrong vs Pantani
Ventoux, presented by Two Magpies Theatre, is a restaging of this dramatic battle between Armstrong and Pantani starring Alexander Gatehouse and Matthew Seager.
Once regarded as the greatest race in the history of cycling, it was soured by the knowledge that both cyclists doped during their careers.
When they crossed the finish line in 2000, their fortunes spiralled in wildly opposite directions.
Armstrong won seven consecutive Tour de France titles; Pantani died of a cocaine overdose alone in a hotel room. Armstrong denied, lied and cheated, while Pantani was caught.
Performed with two road bikes, real race commentary and stunning film footage, the company recreates the conflict with all the benefit of hindsight, charting the parallels of their early careers and the stark split in fortunes following the race.
Ventoux is at The Byre Theatre, St Andrews, on September 2 and Perth Theatre on September 17.
